Overview
- U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee labeled the beating of 20-year-old Saif Musallet a “criminal and terrorist act” and urged Israel to aggressively investigate the incident
- Musallet was beaten by settlers on July 11 in Sinjil and died after paramedics were blocked from reaching him for hours
- His family and groups like J Street are calling for a U.S.-led inquiry into the killing, arguing Israel’s probe has lacked transparency and produced no arrests
- The State Department has provided consular assistance to Musallet’s relatives but continues to defer investigative authority to Israeli officials
- The deaths of Musallet and Hussein Al-Shalabi highlight a broader surge in West Bank settler violence and persistent impunity since October 2023