Palestinian-American from Tampa beaten to death in West Bank, family says

The relations of American Saifullah Kamel Musallet informed CBS News on Saturday that the 20-year-old man from Tampa was overwhelmed to demise Friday by Israeli settlers whereas he was visiting household within the Palestinian-majority West Bank. 

Musallet was meant to be headed again to Florida this week, his relations stated. He was killed in a confrontation with Israeli settlers whereas defending his household’s land within the city of Sinjil, north of Ramallah, in accordance with his household and the Palestinian Well being Ministry.

Settlers allegedly surrounded Musallet for greater than three hours, blocking an ambulance and paramedics from reaching him, in accordance with a press release from the household. His youthful brother carried him to an ambulance after the mob cleared, however Musallet died earlier than reaching the hospital, the assertion stated. 

Mohammed Saber Zaben, the pinnacle of the native municipality of al Sharqiya, informed CBS News on Friday that almost all of the landowners in his area are Palestinian-People who maintain U.S. citizenship and that some have been bodily attacked and had their property destroyed amid ongoing tensions between settlers and residents. He stated the settlers have prevented Palestinian farmers from accessing their lands as a part of a plan to determine an unlawful outpost on the privately owned lands. Underneath worldwide legislation, the areas are referred to as A and B throughout the Occupied West Financial institution.

“He labored at his household’s ice cream store in Tampa and was liked by so many individuals there. He was all the time sort and compassionate,” stated Musallet’s cousin Fatmah Muhammad, who’s a enterprise proprietor in Southern California.

A second man was fatally shot within the assaults, in accordance with the well being ministry, which stated the person was left bleeding for hours. 

A State Division spokesperson confirmed {that a} U.S. citizen died within the West Financial institution on Friday, however referred questions on any investigation into the incident to Israel’s authorities. The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem requested Israeli authorities for additional particulars and is offering consular help to the household, in accordance with an embassy spokesperson. 

“We’re conscious of studies relating to a Palestinian civilian killed and plenty of injured Palestinians because of the confrontation, and they’re being regarded into by the ISA and Israel Police,” a press release on Friday from the Israel Protection Forces stated. 

Musallet’s household, in the meantime, referred to as for the U.S. to research. 

“We demand the U.S. State Division lead an instantaneous investigation and maintain the Israeli settlers who killed Saif accountable for his or her crimes,” the household’s assertion learn. 

The FBI and the White Home didn’t reply to CBS News’ requests for remark. 

It isn’t clear right now who was among the many group of settlers accused of beating Musallet to demise. The State Division stated it was as much as the Israeli police to research.

In January, President Trump rescinded U.S. sanctions on far-right settler teams and extremists accused of violence towards Palestinians within the occupied West Financial institution.  Then-President Joe Biden had instituted sanctions in 2024 on individuals undermining stability within the West Financial institution, and the State Division instituted visa bans and put sanctions on a violent Israeli settlement and the director of a bunch accused of undermining stability within the West Financial institution 

The Treasury Division additionally particularly sanctioned the Hilltop Youth, a violent extremist group for attacking Palestinians and their property within the West Financial institution, in addition to a settlement group concerned with people accused of committing violence.

Throughout his first time period, Mr. Trump rescinded the longstanding U.S. coverage that settlements are unlawful, earlier than it was restored by Biden.

Violence in the West Bank is on the rise, with Israeli settlers increasing their efforts to occupy land within the contested area. Musallet is the fifth American to be killed within the West Financial institution because the begin of the Israel-Hamas struggle on Oct. 7, 2023.