State Department Confirms American Citizen Killed in West Bank

Israeli police said they are investigating a violent confrontation between Palestinians and Israeli citizens.

Palestinian houses near an Israeli settlement in the background near Ramallah, in the West Bank, on Jan. 11, 2021. Mohamad Torokman/Reuters

American citizen Sayafollah Musallet, 20, died in the West Bank on July 11 in an incident that is under investigation by Israeli authorities.

In an emailed statement to The Epoch Times on July 12, the U.S. State Department confirmed the death of a U.S. citizen in the West Bank the day prior.

“Out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones we have no further comment at this time,” the department said.

In a statement published on July 11, the Israel Defense Forces said the incident took place after individuals threw rocks at a group of Israelis near Sinjil, lightly injuring two Israeli citizens.

“Shortly after, a violent confrontation developed in the area involving Palestinians and Israeli civilians, which included vandalism of Palestinian property, arson, physical clashes, and rock hurling,” the Israel Defense Forces said in the statement.

“We are aware of reports regarding a Palestinian civilian killed and a number of injured Palestinians as a result of the confrontation, and they are being looked into by the [Israeli Security Agency] and Israel Police.”

The Israeli military said it dispatched its troops along with Israeli police and border security personnel to disperse rioters in the area.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Palestinian Authority said Musallet was beaten to death while another Palestinian, 23-year-old Mohammad Shalabi, was shot in the chest and left to bleed for several hours.

“The attack also included the burning of Palestinian homes and the injury of dozens of residents by settler gunfire,” the Palestinian Authority added.

The Epoch Times is unable to independently verify what led to Musallet’s death.

According to a statement shared by his family, Musallet was beaten to death on July 11 amid a conflict between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank.

The family said Musallet, a U.S. citizen of Palestinian descent, was in the town of Sinjil with his younger brother.

“This is an unimaginable nightmare,” the family said in their statement.

Update: This article has been updated to make clear the incident is under investigation by Israeli authorities and that the official cause of death is yet to be determined.