The family of a Palestinian American man from Tampa killed in a confrontation with Israeli settlers in the West Bank has asked the U.S. State Department to investigate his death.
“We demand justice,” they wrote in a statement. “This is an unimaginable nightmare and an injustice that no family should ever have to face.”
The Palestinian Health Ministry said Sayfollah Musallet, 20, had been beaten by the settlers. The family said the attack occurred on his family's land.
A U.S. embassy spokesperson confirmed Musallet's death.
Musallet, known as Saif by his family, traveled to the West Bank on June 4 and was in the village of Sinjil visiting family.
Israel’s military said Palestinians hurled rocks at Israelis in the area on Friday, lightly wounding two people and setting off a larger confrontation.
According to Musallet’s family, the settlers were “attempting to steal” the land.
“Israeli settlers surrounded Saif for over three hours as paramedics attempted to reach him, but the mob of settlers blocked the ambulance and paramedics from providing life-saving aid,” the family said. “After the mob of settlers cleared, Saif’s young brother rushed to carry him to the ambulance. Saif died before reaching the hospital.”
His uncle, Hesam Musallet, was overcome with emotion, speaking at a press conference in Tampa on Monday. He said Musallet died in the arms of his younger brother.
"His brother saw him take his last breath. He could not — he was just gagging because of the pain, because of the beating. I mean, I don't know what to say...he was just like a regular kid."
He said his nephew was a loving and ambitious man with big dreams, who liked comedy and spending time with his grandmother in Tampa.
He was visiting family in the West Bank with the hopes of possibly meeting his wife. He recently bought an ice cream shop on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Ice SSSScreamin, with his family. He dreamed of expanding it into a chain of businesses.
“Saif was a brother and son, just starting the prime of his life,” the family said. “He was a kind, hard-working and deeply respected young man. Saif built a successful business in Tampa and was known for his generosity, ambition and connection to his Palestinian heritage.
The State Department said it had no comment out of respect for the family.
In response, Florida's director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Hiba Rahim, speaking on behalf of the family, said they are demanding justice for the Israeli settlers who murdered Musallet.
"So to show any kind of respect, you respond to that request...you immediately launch an investigation, and you find out who the perpetrators were, you arrest them...and try them under U.S. law for the murder of an American citizen," Rahim said.
Since the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas against Israel that killed some 1,200 people and resulted in the kidnapping of several hundred more, tensions between Palestinians and Israelis have been on the rise, even among the civilian population.
Palestinians and rights groups have long accused the Israeli military of ignoring settler violence. Israeli officials rarely prosecute those accused of violence against Palestinians, and when they do, a very small percentage end in conviction.
Funerals were held Sunday in the West Bank for Musallet and a friend, Mohammed al-Shalabi, who was shot in the chest, the Palestinian ministry said.
Their bodies were carried through the streets of Al-Mazraa a-Sharqiyaas as mourners waved Palestinian flags and chanted, “God is great.”
A vigil for Musallet will also be held in partnership with Florida's CAIR chapter on Saturday, July 19, in Tampa.
Information from the Associated Press and NPR was used in this report.
