
Families of Americans slain in West Bank lose hope for justice
No one has been arrested or charged in Musallet's slaying — and if Israel's track record on the other three deaths is any guide, it seems unlikely to happen. Yet Musallet's father and a growing number of US politicians want to flip the script.
"We demand justice,' Kamel Musallet said at his 20-year-old son's funeral earlier this week. "We demand the US government do something about it.'
Still, Musallet and relatives of the other Palestinian-Americans say they doubt anyone will be held accountable, either by Israel or the U.S. They believe the first word in their hyphenated identity undercuts the power of the second. And they say Israel and its law enforcement have made them feel like culprits - by imposing travel bans and, in some cases, detaining and interrogating them.
The grave of Sayfollah Musallet, who was beaten to death by Israeli settlers while he was visiting family in the West Bank town of Al Mazra as-Sharqiya, is seen. AP
Although the Trump administration has stopped short of promising investigations of its own, the US embassy in Jerusalem has urged Israel to investigate the circumstances of each American's death.
Writing on X on July 15, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said he'd asked Israel to "aggressively investigate the murder" of Musallet and that "there must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act."
Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and 28 other Democratic senators have also called for an investigation. In a letter this week to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Attorney General Pam Bondi, they pointed to the "repeated lack of accountability" after the deaths of Musallet and other Americans killed in the West Bank.
Israel's military, police and Shin Bet domestic security agency did not respond to requests for comment about the Palestinian-Americans' deaths.
A memorial poster showing Sayfollah Musallet, who was beaten to death by Israeli settlers, is displayed outside of a bakery in West Bank. AP
American-born teenagers Tawfic Abdel Jabbar and Mohammad Khdour were killed in early 2024 by Israeli fire while driving in the West Bank. In April 2025, 14-year-old Amer Rabee, a New Jersey native, was shot in the head at least nine times by Israeli forces, according to his father, as he stood among a grove of green almond trees in his family's village.
In the immediate aftermath of both cases, Israeli authorities said that forces had fired on rock throwers, allegations disputed by the families and by testimony obtained by the AP. Israel pledged to investigate the cases further, but has released no new findings.
The teens' families told the AP they sought independent investigations by American authorities, expressing doubts that Israel would investigate in good faith. According to the Israeli watchdog group Yesh Din, killings of Palestinians in the West Bank rarely result in investigations - and when they do, indictments are uncommon.
Mourners carry the bodies of Sayfollah Musallet and Mohammed Al Shalabi during their funeral in the West Bank village of Al Mazraa a-Sharqiya. AP
The US Justice Department has jurisdiction to investigate the deaths of its own citizens abroad, but does so after it gets permission from the host government and usually works with the host country's law enforcement.
The US embassy in Jerusalem declined to say whether the US has launched independent probes into the killings.
A spokesperson for the embassy said in a statement that investigations are "underway' in Israel over the deaths of the four Americans and that its staff is pressing the Israeli authorities to move quickly and transparently.
Sen. Van Hollen said that when the U.S deals with Israel it "either doesn't pursue these cases with the vigor necessary, or we don't get any serious cooperation.'
"And then instead of demanding cooperation and accountability, we sort of stop - and that's unacceptable. It's unacceptable to allow American citizens to be killed with impunity," the Maryland Democrat said.
A man tidies the graves of Sayfollah Musallet, left, and Mohammed Al Shalabi, both of whom were killed by Israeli settlers in the West Bank town of Al Mazra. AP
Israel says it holds soldiers and settlers to account under the bounds of the law, and that the lack of indictments does not mean a lack of effort.
A prominent recent case was the death of Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist for broadcaster Al Jazeera killed in the West Bank in 2022. An independent U.S. analysis of the circumstances of her death found that fire from an Israeli soldier was "likely responsible' for her killing but said it appeared to be an accident.
Despite an Israeli military investigation with similar conclusions, no one was ever disciplined.
Rather than a path toward justice, the families of Khdour, Rabee, and Abdel Jabbar say they've faced only challenges since the deaths.
Khdour, born in Miami, Florida, was shot and killed in April 2024 while driving in Biddu, a West Bank town near Jerusalem where he lived since age 2. U.S. investigators visited his family after the killing, his family said.
Abdel Jabbar was killed while driving down a dirt road close to Al Mazra as-Sharqiya, his village in the northern West Bank.
Khdour's cousin, Malek Mansour, the sole witness, told the AP he was questioned by both Israeli and American investigators and repeated his testimony that shots came from a white pickup on Israeli territory.
He believes the investigators did not push hard enough to figure out who killed his cousin.
"The matter ended like many of those who were martyred (killed),' said Hanan Khdour, Khdour's mother.
Two months after the death, Israeli forces raided the family's home and detained Mohammad's brother, Omar Khdour, 23, also an American citizen.
Videos taken by family and shared with the AP show Omar Khdour blindfolded and handcuffed as Israeli soldiers in riot gear lead him out of the building and into a military jeep.
He said he was threatened during questioning, held from 4 a.m. to 3 p.m., and warned not to pursue the case.
Omar Khdour said Israeli soldiers at checkpoints have prevented him from leaving the West Bank to visit Israel or Jerusalem. Two other American fathers of Palestinian-Americans killed since Oct. 7, 2023 reported similar restrictions.
Hafeth Abdel Jabbar, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar's father, said he and his wife were blocked from leaving the West Bank for seven months. His son, Amir Abdel Jabbar, 22, remains restricted.
The father of Amer Rabee says he and his wife have also been stuck in the West Bank since their son's killing. He showed AP emails from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem in which a consular official told him that Israel had imposed a travel ban on him, though it was unclear why.
Israeli authorities did not respond to comment on the detentions or travel restrictions. Rabee said that in a land where violence against Palestinians goes unchecked, his family's American passports amounted to nothing more than a blue book.
"We are all American citizens,' Rabee said. "But here, for us, being American means nothing."
Associated Press
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Middle East Eye
26 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, say two major Israeli rights groups
Two major Israeli human rights groups have stated that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHRI) both published separate reports on Monday in which they accused Israel of genocidal crimes and incitement to genocide. In its report, B'Tselem examined Israel's policies in Gaza and statements made by senior Israeli politicians and military commanders on its goals in the enclave. It led the group to 'the unequivocal conclusion that Israel is taking coordinated action to intentionally destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza Strip'. The report includes statistical analysis, as well as personal testimonies and documentation of crimes and incitement. 'Nothing prepares you for the realisation that you are part of a society committing genocide. This is a deeply painful moment for us,' said Yuli Novak, the group's executive director. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'But as Israelis and Palestinians who live here and witness the reality every day, we have a duty to speak the truth as clearly as possible: Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians.' Novak said that the Hamas-led surprise attack on 7 October 2023, which killed around 1,200 Israelis, 'created deep existential fear among Israelis'. 'The extremist, far-right messianic government is using that fear to promote an agenda of destruction and expulsion,' she said. 'The lives of all Palestinians, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, are being treated as worthless. They can be starved, killed, displaced - and the situation keeps getting worse.' Meanwhile, PHRI's report presented a detailed legal analysis on Israel's war on Gaza, focusing on the dismantling of Gaza's healthcare system. It stated that Israel's aggression meets the criteria for genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, to which Israel is a signatory. This is a developing story...


Middle East Eye
35 minutes ago
- Middle East Eye
Israel jails soldiers for refusing to return to Gaza after they killed children
The Israeli military has jailed three soldiers who refused to return to the Gaza Strip after they killed Palestinian children. According to the Israeli outlet Kan, four soldiers from the 931st Battalion in the Nahal Brigade were removed from combat and punished after informing their commanders that they would not return to fight. The four had fought for several rounds in the Gaza Strip, spending between 13 and 17 months in the enclave during the ongoing war. Kan cited the soldiers as saying they were suffering from a "deep internal crisis" during the fighting. One of the soldiers imprisoned told Kan that he felt unable to return after killing children and a mother. "We were in an extermination area, we saw three figures entering the area and, as instructed, we shot. Later it turned out - these were 12-13 year old children and their mother. We didn't know. We followed orders," they told the outlet. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "After this incident, we had three soldiers leave because of post-traumatic stress disorder who suffered from dreams at night, insomnia, they would see these children. They didn't talk to us, they didn't bring us a psychologist, everything continued as usual." Three of the four soldiers received prison sentences ranging from one week to 12 days. The fourth has not yet been tried. One of the jailed soldiers had been wounded last year during fighting along the Gaza border and had returned voluntarily to fight after recovering. According to an AFP tally based on figures from the Israeli military, 462 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the war on Gaza began in October 2023. Twenty-three have been killed in the past month alone. Since the war began nearly 22 months ago, Israeli forces have killed over 59,800 Palestinians, including at least 17,000 children. More than 144,000 people have been wounded.


Zawya
an hour ago
- Zawya
China, US in battle for Congo minerals as bid to end war gains momentum
The Democratic Republic of Congo is a wealthy but needy country. And so, when the US offered to boost the country's security in exchange for minerals, some in Kinshasa viewed it as a smaller bill to pay. So far, the US has led the Congo and Rwanda to sign a peace deal and has backed Qatar-led mediation talks between Kinshasa and the M23 rebels. Yet, beyond the search for peace is an ongoing battle for supremacy and control of minerals. In the face of global geopolitical changes, China has flung the transparency card and increasing its investments in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On July 14, Beijing published a White Paper on community development and the responsibility of Chinese mining companies in the DRC, signalling attachment to corporate social responsibility. The document covers 15 mining companies belonging to eight Chinese conglomerates located in the provinces of Haut-Katanga and Lualaba in the DRC. These firms are all involved in the exploitation of copper and cobalt mines as well as the production, smelting and sale of mining products. The White Paper on Community Development and the Responsibility of Chinese Mining Companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo was presented by the Association of Chinese Mining Companies in the DRC. Over the years, Chinese investment has exceeded the $10 billion mark. For China, the leading destination for Congolese mining exports, it is important to demonstrate the transparency of Chinese companies in the Congo at a time when the US is clearly showing its interest in Congolese mines. Data from the Central Bank of Congo shows that DRC exports up to 57.3 percent of its mining products. This figure is growing. In 2019, the Congo exported only 33 percent of its mining products to China. Chen Zhimin, president of the Association of Chinese Mining Companies in the DRC, said the firms have built 1,250 kilometres of roads for DRC, built power stations with a total installed capacity of 480 megawatts, built 21 hospitals that treat 800,000 patients a year, built 54 schools that accommodate 32,000 students, and reclaimed 6,700 hectares of land that reduce CO₂ emissions by 420,000 tonnes per year. He added that a total of $380 million has been invested in community development, $120 million has been invested in livelihood projects, 470 wells have been dug to solve the drinking water problem for 230,000 people, and 18,742 technicians have been trained. These details were provided at a time American companies are preparing to come or return to the Congo to invest in the mining sector and thus challenge Chinese hegemony in the DRC. Recently, American company KoBold Metals signed an agreement with the DRC for the exploitation of lithium. This agreement will be implemented in three key areas: The company is committed to investing in the Congo in the digitisation of geological data, mining using advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, and the development of a lithium mining project located in Manono in the province of Tanganyika, in the southeast of the DRC. Benjamin Katabuka said that KoBold Metals' goal is to hire more Congolese people, train them, pay them and participate in the construction of infrastructure for the well-being of the population. The DRC and KoBold Metals are committed to 'cooperating to provide free public access to historical geoscientific data through the National Geological Service of Congo (SGNC) for the benefit of all,' said to a dispatch.'KoBold Metals will launch a large-scale mining exploration programme in the DRC, using the world's most advanced technologies to find critical mineral deposits that will be developed into world-class mines,' the partnership agreement states.'The economic partnership between the United States of America and the Democratic Republic of the Congo promises sustainable growth, innovation and tangible benefits for Congolese communities,' said Lucy Tamlyn, US Ambassador to the DRC. During the publishing of the White paper the China Mining Association made commitments to the people of the DRC and the international community: Firstly, mining companies pledged to create a 'transparent mining industry' with all their efforts, by continuously deepening technological investments and management innovations, and improving the transparency and credibility of the global supply chain. Thirdly, they are committed to working together to develop a 'responsibility standard' and to study and formulate the 'Guide to Social Responsibility in the Mining Industry in the Democratic Republic of Congo.' This, Beijing said, will not be imposed on the country but will be based on local realities, and 'national conditions of the Democratic Republic of Congo and in line with international development trends,' in order to raise the level of responsibility of the entire industry to a higher level. China and the US have an established diet for minerals and a competition could benefit the DRC, if well managed. Yet, a few years ago, this increasingly visible competition led to heated exchanges and statements between the Chinese ambassador to the DRC and Mike Hammer, the US ambassador to the DRC until 2022. Today, the debate between American and Chinese preferences is taking place among the Congolese. Against the backdrop of war in eastern DRC, punctuated by peace negotiations led by the United States and a forthcoming agreement between the DRC and the United States on mining in Congo, the public here believes that that Washington is helping Congo more than Beijing in this time of crisis. This criticism prompted a response from Zhao Bin, China's ambassador to the DRC: 'The DRC and Rwanda have signed a peace agreement in Washington. This de-escalation is a good thing in itself. However, discordant voices are being raised in public opinion, with some going so far as to say that China is ignoring the DRC while the United States of America is supporting the DRC.'Is this really the case? Our support for the DRC is unwavering. Our position has never been volatile or changed overnight,' said China's ambassador to the DRC, before adding: 'We have neither used the DRC as a bargaining chip for our own ends nor introduced any discriminatory measures against it. China adheres to its own diplomatic principles, such as non-interference in the internal affairs of the DRC, but it has always provided concrete and effective assistance to the DRC in its own way.'Zhao recalled that, as President of the Security Council, China succeeded in getting Resolution 2773 in favour of the DRC unanimously adopted. Although the debate rages on, for the DRC, the issue will be one of diversifying its partners. This is why, in September 2024, the DRC signed a military cooperation agreement with China aimed at strengthening the capabilities of the DRC Armed Forces. In 2024, the DRC and China renegotiated the 2008 'contract of the century' which had given Chinese firms extensive copper and cobalt mines in exchange for infrastructure development. Officials in the DRC said the renegotiated deal would yield some $4 billion in additional benefits for the Congolese per year. Previously, the Chinese had agreed to a $6 billion funding for infrastructure in areas they operate but was heavily criticised after Beijing fell behind the pledge and claims of lack of transparency ensued. © Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.