Americans Whose Loved Ones Were Murdered in the West Bank Lament Lack of Justice
In recent months, escalating violence in the West Bank has led to multiple deaths of Palestinian-Americans, raising concerns about the adequacy of investigations and the accountability of perpetrators.
Despite independent investigations by U.S. authorities not being publicly confirmed or sufficiently pursued, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem maintains that Israeli investigations are ongoing in cases involving American deaths. However, families and U.S. officials express deep skepticism about Israel’s willingness to investigate thoroughly or hold perpetrators accountable.
One of the key recent incidents was the death of Khamis Ayyad, who died of smoke inhalation on August 1, 2025, following a settler attack in Silwad, West Bank. Israeli police are investigating, but no arrests or independent U.S. investigations have been reported.
Another tragic case is that of Sayfollah Kamel Musallet, who was beaten to death by Israeli settlers on July 11, 2025, near Sinjil. The U.S. ambassador called it “murder” and demanded investigations, while U.S. lawmakers have condemned the lack of accountability and called for credible independent probes by U.S. authorities.
Since October 2023, at least five U.S. citizens have been killed in the West Bank related to settler violence and military operations. Families of four American teenagers killed by Israeli fire since early 2024 have sought independent American investigations due to distrust in Israeli inquiries. However, the U.S. Justice Department has not publicly initiated independent probes, citing the need for host country cooperation.
The family of Omar Khdour, an American citizen who was shot and killed in April 2024, claims no one was disciplined following an Israeli military investigation. Khdour was killed in Biddu, a West Bank town near Jerusalem. Two months after his death, Israeli forces raided the family’s home and detained Omar and his brother. According to the family, Omar was threatened during questioning, held for 12 hours, and warned not to pursue the case.
Malek Mansour, Khdour’s cousin and the sole witness, claims Israeli and American investigators did not push hard enough to find out who killed Khdour. Khdour’s American passport, like those of other Palestinian-Americans, seems to amount to nothing more than a blue book in a land where violence against Palestinians goes unchecked.
The father of Hafeth Abdel Jabbar, who was killed, was blocked from leaving the West Bank for seven months. Similarly, Amir Abdel Jabbar, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar's brother, remains restricted. The father of Amer Rabee claims he and his wife have been stuck in the West Bank since their son’s killing. Israeli forces have reportedly prevented Omar Khdour and other American fathers of Palestinian-Americans killed since October 2023 from leaving the West Bank.
U.S. lawmakers criticize an ongoing pattern of inaction and impunity around settler violence and killings in the West Bank, emphasizing the failure to protect American citizens and deliver justice. Calls for greater U.S. government action and accountability continue.
In light of these events, the ongoing violence and killings of Palestinian-Americans in the West Bank are becoming a central point in general news, politics, and crime-and-justice discussions. Despite Israeli investigations, concerns persist about accountability due to skepticism towards Israeli willingness to conduct thorough investigations and hold perpetrators accountable, leading to calls for credible independent probes by U.S. authorities to address war-and-conflicts issues.
