US ambassador asks Israel to investigate death of US citizen in West Bank

WEST BANK (Reuters): US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on Tuesday he has asked Israel to “aggressively” investigate the death of an American citizen who was beaten to death in the West Bank.

“There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act. Saif was just 20 yrs old,” Huckabee said in a post on X.

The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately provide comment. Israel’s military previously said Israel was investigating the incident.

US citizen Sayafollah Musallet, 20, also known as Saif, was severely beaten in the incident on Friday evening in Sinjil, north of Ramallah, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

His family, from Tampa, Florida, said in a statement that medics tried to reach him for three hours before his brother managed to carry him to an ambulance, but that he died before reaching the hospital.

“We must honor his memory by speaking out against violence and working toward a future of peace and dignity,” US Representative Kathy Castor, who represents Tampa, said in a post on X. “The Administration must work with our international partners to ensure the protection of Americans abroad.”

Some members of the US House of Representatives have condemned the killing of Musallet, and others have called on the US State Department to investigate the incident.

The department did not immediately respond to those calls.

Settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel’s war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023, according to rights groups.