Justice Elusive for Palestinian-Americans Killed in West Bank Amid Rising Settler Attacks

Israeli settlers recently killed 20-year-old Sayfollah Musallet in the West Bank, adding to a growing list of Palestinian-Americans slain amid escalating violence in the occupied territory since October 2023. Musallet, from Tampa, Florida, is now the fourth American citizen of Palestinian descent to die in the region during the ongoing Gaza war. His death, like those of the others before him, remains unresolved—no one has been arrested, and skepticism is mounting among families and U.S. lawmakers over whether justice will ever be served.

At Musallet’s funeral earlier this week, his father, Kamel Musallet, called on the U.S. government to intervene. “We demand justice,” he said. “We demand the U.S. government do something about it.”

Their calls echo the demands of other grieving families, including those of American-born teenagers Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, Mohammad Khdour, and 14-year-old Amer Rabee—all killed by Israeli forces under disputed circumstances in early 2024 and 2025. Despite initial pledges from Israeli officials to investigate, no findings have been released, and families say the Israeli legal system offers little hope for accountability. According to watchdog group Yesh Din, investigations into Palestinian deaths rarely result in indictments.

While U.S. officials, including Ambassador Mike Huckabee and 29 Democratic senators led by Chris Van Hollen, have urged Israel to pursue complete investigations, action remains limited. The U.S. Justice Department has the authority to investigate the deaths of American citizens abroad but typically defers to the host nation—a process families say yields little.

Many families report facing travel bans, detentions, and harassment instead of justice. In one case, Omar Khdour—whose brother Mohammad was killed—was blindfolded and detained by Israeli soldiers and warned not to pursue the case. Their mother, Hanan Khdour, described the outcome as similar to that of many martyrs.

Several other relatives have been denied exit from the West Bank. Fathers of the slain say that their American citizenship offers no protection. “Here, for us, being American means nothing,” said Amer Rabee’s father, who, along with others, remains trapped by Israeli travel restrictions.

Amid the silence from Israel’s military and police and vague assurances from U.S. diplomats, frustration continues to grow. As violence against Palestinians intensifies, families and U.S. lawmakers say enough is enough—and that America must demand accountability, not impunity.