Overview

• Sayfollah Musallet, a 20-year-old dual US-Palestinian citizen, was beaten to death by settlers in the West Bank on July 11 and delayed access to medical aid, prompting his family to seek a US-led investigation
• US Ambassador Mike Huckabee condemned the slaying as a “criminal and terrorist act” and publicly urged Israel to conduct an “aggressive investigation” into Musallet’s death
• Since 2022, nine American citizens have been killed by Israeli settlers or soldiers, yet none of the cases have resulted in criminal charges in Israel or sanctions from Washington
• Critics argue that the US’s annual billions in military aid to Israel has limited its leverage to enforce accountability for Americans’ deaths abroad
• Legal experts say unused US laws, including the Leahy Law and statutes allowing prosecution of Americans who kill Americans overseas, could provide independent avenues for justice