Huckabee demands Israel ‘aggressively investigate’ murder of Palestinian American killed in ‘terrorist act’

close Video

Fox News Flash top headlines for July 15

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what’s clicking on Foxnews.com.

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, on Tuesday called on Israeli authorities to “aggressively investigate” the killing of Sayfollah Musallet, a 20-year-old Palestinian American who was reportedly beaten to death by a gang of extremist settlers in the West Bank village of Sinjil on Friday.

“We have asked Israel to aggressively investigate the murder of Saif Mussallet, an American citizen who was visiting family in Sinjil when he was beaten to death in the West Bank,” Huckabee wrote on X. “There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act. Saif was only 20 years old.”

According to the family, Musallet was visiting the West Bank from Tampa, Florida, to reconnect with relatives and visit family-owned farmland. 

ISRAEL ADMITS IDF LIKELY KILLED AL JAZEERA JOURNALIST ‘ACCIDENTALLY’

Sayfollah Musallet was killed in a West Bank village on Sunday. The Associated Press reported Palestinian health authorities said he was killed in an attack by Israeli settlers. (Musallet Family via WTVT)

“This is an unimaginable nightmare and injustice that no family should ever have to face,” the family said in a statement. “We demand the U.S. State Department lead an immediate investigation and hold the Israeli settlers who killed Saif accountable for their crimes.”

Israeli military officials said the confrontation began when Palestinians threw rocks at settlers, lightly injuring two. IDF forces were deployed to the area and used non-lethal crowd control methods, the army said.

So far, no Israeli suspects have been arrested in connection with the killings. Two Israeli minors detained on Friday night for suspected involvement in public disturbances were later released to house arrest. A reserve soldier questioned by the military police over the shooting during the incident was also released.

BIDEN SANCTIONS ISRAELI SETTLERS IN WEST BANK AFTER SHOOTING OF US TEEN

Mourners pray during the funeral of Sayfollah Musallet and Mohammed al-Shalabi in the West Bank village of Al-Mazraa a-Sharqiya, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

The Palestinian Health Ministry said Musallet was fatally beaten during an attack by settlers in the area. Another man, 23-year-old Mohammed al-Shalabi, was shot in the chest and also killed during the same incident. 

Sources in the Israeli police told Haaretz newspaper that the lack of an autopsy and the fact that the bodies were not transferred to Israeli authorities may complicate the investigation.

Mourners gather around the graves of Palestinian-American Sayfollah Musallet, 20, and Mohammed al-Shalabi during their funeral in the West Bank village of Al-Mazraa a-Sharqiya on Sunday, July 13, 2025. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, Musallet was killed in an attack by Israeli settlers and al-Shalabi was shot in the chest.  (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

A military court also released Abdullah Hamida, a Palestinian resident arrested during the settler raid, criticizing police conduct. During the hearing, the police representative admitted he was unaware that any Palestinians had been killed, and incorrectly claimed the only wounded were settlers.

The State Department acknowledged awareness of the incident but declined further comment, Reuters reports, citing “respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones.”

Efrat Lachter is an investigative reporter and war correspondent. Her work has taken her to 40 countries, including Ukraine, Russia, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, and Afghanistan. She is a recipient of the 2024 Knight-Wallace Fellowship for Journalism. Lachter can be followed on X @efratlachter.