U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Tuesday that he had "aggressively" demanded an investigation by Israeli authorities into the killing of Palestinian-American Saif al-Din Musallat, who was allegedly beaten to death on Friday by Jewish extremists in the village of Sinjil, near Ramallah. "There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act.," Huckabee wrote on X. "Saif was just 20 years old."
Musallat’s family called on the U.S. State Department Saturday to launch an immediate investigation. “He traveled to the West Bank early last month to visit loved ones. “This is an unimaginable nightmare, an injustice no family should have to endure,” the family said in a statement.
Born and raised in Florida, Musallat was reportedly “brutally beaten to death while defending his family’s land from settlers who tried to steal it,” according to the family, which urged Washington to ensure that “the settlers who killed him are brought to justice.”
A State Department spokesperson told Ynet that “ensuring the safety of U.S. citizens abroad is a top priority,” and confirmed that consular support is being provided to the family. However, the spokesperson declined to comment on the details of the incident “out of respect for the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”
Three people have been arrested in connection with the clashes in Sinjil, in which Musallat and another Palestinian were killed. Among those detained is an IDF reservist—but none of the three are suspected of murder, and none have been arrested in connection with the two deaths. One Palestinian was also later detained in connection with the clashes.
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The reservist is suspected of having fired a weapon during the incident and has been referred to military police investigators. The other two suspects were arrested on Friday—before the discovery of the two Palestinian bodies—and are therefore not suspected in their deaths. The pair were apprehended by plainclothes officers after being seen exiting a vehicle near Sinjil. Police have yet to determine if they were involved in the clashes. The Palestinian bodies were not autopsied, complicating efforts to establish a clear cause of death.