US citizen beaten to death in West Bank as Israeli settler violence escalates

The US State Department said it knew of the Palestinian-American’s reported death but declined to comment ‘out of respect’ for his family

Reading Time:2 minutes

An olive tree burns in a Palestinian village near the West Bank town of Sinjil after Friday’s clashes. Photo: AP

Published: 11:01am, 12 Jul 2025Updated: 11:01am, 12 Jul 2025

The US State Department said on Friday it was aware of the reported death of a US citizen in the Israeli-occupied West Bank after reports emerged of Israeli settlers fatally beating a Palestinian-American.

Palestinian news agency WAFA, citing the local health ministry, said Saif al-Din Kamel Abdul Karim Musallat, aged in his twenties, died after he was beaten by Israeli settlers on Friday evening in an attack that also injured many people in a town north of Ramallah.

Relatives of Musallat, who was from Tampa, Florida, were also quoted by The Washington Post as saying he was beaten to death by Israeli settlers.

“We are aware of reports of the death of a US citizen in the West Bank,” the State Department said, adding the department had no further comment “out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones” of the reported victim.

Part of a fence set by the Israeli authorities in Sinjil, near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Photo: Reuters

The Israeli military said Israel was probing the incident in the town of Sinjil. It said rocks were hurled at Israelis near Sinjil and that “a violent confrontation developed in the area”.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x