Mourners bury US citizen killed in West Bank settler attack

Hundreds of mourners gathered on Sunday in the West Bank village of al-Mazra’a ash-Sharqiya to bury two Palestinians killed during overnight clashes with Israeli settlers, including 20-year-old Sayafollah Musallet, a U.S. citizen. Musallet was reportedly beaten to death Friday evening; his cousin said Israeli settlers surrounded him for hours, preventing medical assistance. A second victim, 23-year-old Hussein Al-Shalabi, was shot in the chest, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Musallet, a Florida native visiting family since June 4, was described by relatives as a joyful presence whose memory they vowed to preserve. His family is calling on the U.S. State Department to launch an investigation and hold those responsible accountable. The Israeli military said it is investigating the incident, which occurred in Sinjil, and claimed the violence began after Palestinians threw rocks at settlers. It said its forces used non-lethal measures to break up the clashes. Settler violence in the West Bank has surged since Israel’s war with Hamas began in Gaza in late 2023, according to human rights groups. The region has also seen deadly Israeli military raids and Palestinian attacks.