American Citizen Beaten to Death by Israeli Settlers in West Bank
U.S. State Department “aware” as rights groups demand accountability amid rising settler violence.
SINJIL — Israeli settlers beat to death a U.S. citizen in his early 20s, Seif al-Din Muslat of Tampa, Florida, during an attack in the West Bank town of Sinjil on Friday, according to his family and Palestinian officials. A second Palestinian, Mohammed Shalabi, was fatally shot during the same incident.
Seif al-Din Muslat. Photo: zeteo.com
The U.S. State Department confirmed awareness of the death but declined further comment, citing family privacy. Advocacy groups, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU), condemned the killing and accused the U.S. government of inaction in protecting its citizens from Israeli settler violence.
Muslat, who had traveled to Palestine to visit family, is the latest victim in a string of deadly incidents involving Israeli forces and settlers. At least nine U.S. citizens, including journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, have been killed by Israeli forces since 2022 — none of the cases have resulted in charges.
CAIR deputy director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said that "every other murder" of an American citizen has gone unpunished by the American government, arguing that this is why the Israeli government "keeps wantonly killing American Palestinians and, of course, other Palestinians."
"If President Trump will not even put America first when Israel murders American citizens," he said, "then this is truly an Israel First administration."
Israel claims the Sinjil violence began when Palestinians threw rocks at an Israeli vehicle, leading to clashes. Human rights groups, however, cite a long pattern of settler impunity, backed by Israeli military protection.
Western nations like France and Australia have imposed sanctions on violent settlers, but settler attacks have surged since the outbreak of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023. The Trump administration, which took office earlier this year, revoked sanctions previously placed on settlers by the Biden administration.
Palestinian groups and international observers have labeled the ongoing settler and military attacks in the West Bank as part of a broader campaign to displace Palestinians. The United Nations continues to classify Israeli settlements in the occupied territory as illegal under international law.
Previously, UOJ reported that continued attacks from illegal Israeli settlers in the Palestinian Christian community of Taybeh have decimated the ancient village, prompting a response from local priests.
