[Report] According to media reports by Reuters and others, the Palestinian Health Ministry stated in a declaration that a Palestinian American man was killed on Friday (11th) by settlers in the West Bank occupied by Israel. The US State Department and Israeli military have both responded to this incident.
The report quoted the statement from the Palestinian Health Ministry, stating that on Friday evening, 20-year-old American citizen Musalat was severely beaten in a town in Ramallah, the northern part of the West Bank city. The family of Musalat, who hails from Tampa, Florida, USA, said in a statement that it took three hours for medical personnel to find him before his brother brought him to an ambulance, but he died before reaching the hospital. “This is an unimaginable nightmare and an injustice, any family should not face such an ordeal. We demand the immediate investigation by the US State Department to hold the Israeli settler responsible for killing Sayyef (referring to Musalat).”, said the family of Musalat.
In response, a spokesperson for the US State Department stated on the 11th that they had been informed about the incident, but due to “respect for the privacy of the victim’s family and relatives”, the State Department did not further comment. The Israeli military also mentioned that they are investigating the matter. The Israeli military also stated that the conflict between Palestinians and settlers in the West Bank originated from Palestinians throwing stones at Israelis, causing minor injuries.
Reuters mentioned that the former Biden administration had imposed sanctions against Israeli settlement groups and individuals accused of participating in violent acts against Palestinians in the West Bank, but President Trump revoked these sanctions in January this year. The report also noted that last year, the International Court of Justice of the United Nations had stated that the occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel, including the West Bank, and the establishment of settlements there were illegal, and Israel should withdraw as soon as possible. Israel disputed this, arguing that it has a historical connection to the land.
The issue of Jewish settlements is one of the main obstacles to peace negotiations between Palestine and Israel. Israel occupied East Jerusalem and parts of the West Bank in the 1967 Third Middle East War, ignoring international opposition, and illegally built and expanded Jewish settlements. A population data report released by the Israeli government in December last year showed that currently, about 510,000 Israelis live in illegally constructed Jewish settlements on the West Bank. On May 29 this year, according to multiple Israeli media reports, the Israeli government had approved the construction of 22 new settlements on the West Bank. The Israel Times quoted a statement from the Israeli Defense Ministry saying that this move aims to consolidate Israel’s control over the West Bank and prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.