Calls for justice for Saif Mussallet are growing after a deadly attack in the West Bank last week. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee demanded that Israeli authorities launch a swift and aggressive investigation into the killing.
Saif Mussallet, a 20-year-old Palestinian-American, died on Friday during an alleged attack by extremist settlers in Sinjil. According to his family, Mussallet was visiting from Tampa, Florida, to reconnect with relatives and visit farmland his family owns.
“We have asked Israel to aggressively investigate the murder of Saif Mussallet,” Huckabee wrote Tuesday on X. “There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act. Saif was only 20 years old.”
The family expressed deep grief and outrage in a public statement. “This is an unimaginable nightmare and injustice no family should face,” they said. They also called on the U.S. State Department to step in and hold the attackers accountable.
Meanwhile, Israeli military officials offered a different account of the events. The IDF said Palestinians allegedly threw rocks at settlers, injuring two people. Israeli forces responded quickly and used non-lethal methods to control the crowd.
Israeli authorities have not arrested any suspects for the killings. They briefly detained two minors, then placed them under house arrest. Military police questioned a reserve soldier involved in the incident but later released him.
During the same violence, Israeli gunfire killed 23-year-old Mohammed al-Shalabi. Witnesses said he was shot in the chest.
The investigation now faces serious complications. Sources told Haaretz that the lack of an autopsy and refusal to transfer the bodies to Israeli authorities may hinder progress. In another twist, a military court freed a Palestinian man arrested during the raid, citing poor police conduct.
At the hearing, a police officer admitted not knowing that any Palestinians had died. He wrongly claimed only settlers were injured. The U.S. State Department acknowledged the incident but declined further comment out of respect for the family’s privacy.
Still, calls for justice for Saif Mussallet continue to grow both in Washington and abroad. With tensions rising, pressure mounts for transparency and swift accountability.
For now, the world watches and waits as the fight for justice for Saif Mussallet unfolds.
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