Israeli settlers have crushed to loss of life a United States citizen within the occupied West Financial institution, the sufferer’s relations and rights teams have stated.
Settlers attacked and killed Sayfollah Musallet – who was in his early 20s – within the city of Sinjil, north of Ramallah, on Friday, in keeping with the Palestinian Well being Ministry.
Musallet, also called Saif al-Din Musalat, had travelled from his dwelling in Florida to go to household in Palestine, his cousin Fatmah Muhammad stated in a social media submit.
One other Palestinian, recognized by the Well being Ministry as Mohammed Shalabi, was fatally shot by settlers through the assault.
Rights advocates have documented repeated cases the place Israeli settlers within the West Financial institution ransack Palestinian neighbourhoods and cities, burning houses and automobiles in assaults generally described as pogroms.
The Israeli army typically protects the settlers throughout their rampages and has shot Palestinians who present any resistance.
The United Nations and different distinguished human rights organisations take into account the Israeli settlements within the West Financial institution violations of worldwide regulation, as a part of a broader technique to displace Palestinians.
Whereas some Western international locations like France and Australia have imposed sanctions on violent settlers, assaults have elevated because the outbreak of Israel’s battle in Gaza in October 2023.
When Donald Trump took workplace earlier this yr, his administration revoked sanctions on settlers imposed by his predecessor, Joe Biden.
Israeli forces have killed at the very least 9 US residents since 2022, together with veteran Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh.
However not one of the incidents have resulted in legal costs.
The US offers billions of {dollars} to Israel yearly. Advocates have accused successive US administrations of failing to guard Americans from Israeli violence within the Center East.
On Friday, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) known as on Washington to make sure accountability for the killing of Musallet.
“Each different homicide of an American citizen has gone unpunished by the American authorities, which is why the Israeli authorities retains wantonly killing American Palestinians and, after all, different Palestinians,” CAIR deputy director Edward Ahmed Mitchell stated in a press release.
He then identified that Trump has repeatedly promised to prioritise American pursuits, as typified by his marketing campaign slogan “America First”.
“If President Trump won’t even put America first when Israel murders Americans, then that is actually an Israel First administration,” Mitchell stated.
The Institute for Center East Understanding (IMEU) additionally known as for motion from the US administration, noting that settlers are “lynching Palestinians extra often – with full help from Israel’s military and authorities”.
“The US authorities has a authorized and ethical obligation to cease Israel’s racist violence towards Palestinians. As an alternative, it’s nonetheless backing and funding it,” the group stated in a press release.
The US Division of State didn’t reply to Al Jazeera’s request for remark concerning the killing of Musallet.
The Palestinian group Hamas condemned the homicide of Musallet, describing it as “barbaric”, and known as on Palestinians throughout the West Financial institution to rise as much as “confront the settlers and their terrorist assaults”.
Israel stated it was “investigating” what occurred in Sinjil, claiming that the violence began when Palestinians threw rocks at an Israeli automobile.
“Shortly thereafter, violent clashes developed within the space between Palestinians and Israeli civilians, which included the destruction of Palestinian property, arson, bodily confrontations, and stone-throwing,” the Israeli army stated in a press release.
Israeli investigations typically result in no costs or significant accountability for the abuses of Israeli officers and settlers.
As settler and army violence intensifies within the West Financial institution, Israel has killed at the very least 57,762 Palestinians in Gaza in a marketing campaign that rights teams have described as a genocide.
