On Friday, Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank brutally beat to death Seif al-Din Muslat, a US citizen in his early 20s, in the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The attack, which also left another Palestinian, Mohammed Shalabi, fatally shot, underscores the escalating violence perpetrated by settlers against Palestinians and their supporters.
Muslat, a Tampa, Florida native visiting family in Palestine, became the latest victim of what rights groups describe as a pattern of settler-led pogroms targeting Palestinian communities.
The United Nations has repeatedly condemned Israeli settlements as violations of international law, accusing Israel of using these outposts to systematically displace Palestinians.
The US State Department acknowledged Muslat’s death but offered no commitment to justice, citing respect for the family’s privacy.
This muted response aligns with a history of inaction, as at least nine US citizens, including journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers since 2022 without accountability.
Rights advocates, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations, have criticized the US for enabling Israel’s impunity through billions in annual aid.
“We are aware of reports of the death of a US citizen in the West Bank,” a State Department spokesperson told Reuters, declining further comment.
Meanwhile, Israel’s military, often complicit in protecting settlers during such attacks, claimed the violence stemmed from Palestinians throwing rocks, a narrative rights groups dismiss as justification for disproportionate aggression.
Broader Context of Israel’s Genocide in Gaza and Beyond
The killing of Muslat occurs against the backdrop of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, where over 57,762 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, according to rights organizations.
In the West Bank, settlers, emboldened by Israel’s military and government support, have intensified attacks, burning homes and vehicles while facing little consequence.
The Institute for Middle East Understanding condemned the US for funding Israel’s “racist violence” instead of curbing it.
As settler rampages and Israel’s systematic targeting of Gaza’s healthcare system continue in clear violation of international law, calls grow for accountability in the besieged Strip and occupied territories.
The lack of sanctions or criminal charges against perpetrators, even under the Trump administration’s “America First” rhetoric, raises questions about US complicity in Israel’s actions.