Palestinian-American killed by settlers buried in West Bank

The funeral of Palestinian-American Saif al-Din Abdul Karim Musalat, who was killed by Israeli settlers, took place on July 13th in the occupied West Bank, according to The New Arab plus agencies.

The 20-year-old’s body was carried through the packed streets of Al-Mazra’ah ash-Sharqiyah on July 13th, where hundreds of mourners gathered to pay their respects.

Born in Florida, Musalat had recently travelled to the Palestinian territory, wanting to spend the summer with his mother and siblings.

As reported by the Palestinian Health Ministry, the fatal attack took place on July 11th. The attack occurred on farmland owned by Musalat’s family. Relatives say settlers beat him severely and left him to die for more than three hours, preventing medical teams from reaching him.

The killing underscores the ongoing threat faced by Palestinian communities north of Ramallah. Residents say such violence is sometimes carried out with the backing of the Israeli army.

Before Musalat’s death, the UN said that “attacks, harassment, and intimidation by Israeli settlers against Palestinians have become a daily reality”.

Following the attack, violent clashes between Palestinians and Israelis have erupted in the surrounding region.

At the funeral, Kamil Hafez Musalat, the victim’s father, spoke with deep pain and anger. “We demand justice for these terrorist settlers. There’s no doubt that they are terrorists. They’re illegally on these lands — they do not belong to them,” he declared.

“We demand the US government do something about it. They’re always saying, you know, for justice, justice, justice. But as Palestinians, they dehumanise us,” he added.

Hundreds of men gathered to offer mourning prayers not only for Musalat but also for Mohammed al-Shalabi, 23, who was shot during the  attack and, according to the health ministry, “left to bleed for hours.”

Samer al-Shalabi, Mohammed’s uncle, explained: “We are people trying to live in peace. We try to protect our land. We have nothing against the world or against Israelis — we are just trying to preserve our land.”

“We will pursue justice for as long as we can,” he added, “but what use is the law when the judge is our enemy?”

Violence in the Palestinian territories has escalated dramatically since the onset of Israel’s war in Gaza on October 7th 2023.

At least 955 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers or settlers, according to an AFP count based on figures from the Palestinian Authority.

The New Arab plus agencies, AFP, Maghrebi.org