Another US citizen killed by Israeli settler attack in West Bank: Family

The household of a United States national who was killed successful a settler onslaught successful the occupied West Bank is calling connected the medication of President Donald Trump to unfastened its ain probe into the incident.

Relatives of Khamis Ayyad, 40, who died successful the municipality of Silwad, northbound of Ramallah, connected Thursday, confirmed connected Friday that helium was an American national and called for justness successful the case.

Ayyad — a begetter of 5 and a erstwhile Chicago nonmigratory — was the 2nd US national to beryllium killed successful the West Bank successful July. Earlier that month, Israeli settlers bushed 20-year-old Sayfollah Musallet to decease successful Sinjil, a municipality that neighbours Silwad.

Standing alongside Ayyad’s relatives, William Asfour, the operations coordinator for the Chicago section of the Council connected American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), described the sidesplitting arsenic “murder”.

“We request a afloat probe from the Department of Justice,” Asfour said. “An American national was killed. Where’s the accountability?”

According to Mahmoud Issa, the slain 40-year-old’s cousin, settlers torched cars extracurricular Ayyad’s location astir dawn connected Thursday.

Ayyad woke up to enactment retired the fire, but past the Israeli service showed up astatine the country and started firing teardrop state successful his direction.

The household believes that Ayyad died from inhaling teardrop state and fume from the burning vehicles.

‘How galore more?’

Settler attacks against Palestinian communities successful the West Bank, which US officials person described arsenic “terrorism”, person been escalating for months, peculiarly since Israel launched its warfare connected Gaza successful October 2023.

The Israeli residents of amerciable settlements person descended connected Palestinian communities, ransacked neighbourhoods and acceptable cars and homes ablaze.

The settlers, protected by the Israeli military, are often equipped and occurrence astatine volition against Palestinians who effort to halt them.

The Israeli military has besides been intensifying its deadly raids, location demolitions and displacement campaigns successful the West Bank.

Just this past month, Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, approved a non-binding question to annex the West Bank.

And connected Thursday, 2 apical Israeli ministers, Yariv Levin and Israel Katz, called the contiguous circumstances “a infinitesimal of opportunity” to asseverate “Israeli sovereignty” implicit the area.

Meanwhile, Israel continues to carry out a brutal battle successful Gaza, which rights groups person said amounts to a genocide.

CAIR-Chicago’s Asfour stressed connected Friday that Ayyad’s sidesplitting is not an isolated incident.

“Another American was killed successful the West Bank conscionable weeks ago,” helium said, referring to Musallet.

“How galore much earlier the US takes enactment to support its citizens abroad? Settlers pain homes, soldiers backmost them up, and our authorities sends billions to money each of this.”

The US Department of State did not respond to Al Jazeera’s petition for remark by the clip of publication.

No arrests successful Musallet’s case

Last month, Musallet’s household besides urged a US investigation into his killing.

But Washington has resisted calls to probe Israel’s abuses against American citizens, arguing that Israeli authorities are champion equipped to analyse their ain subject forces and settlers.

Mike Huckabee, US ambassador to Israel, called connected Israel to “aggressively analyse the murder” of Musallet successful July.

“There indispensable beryllium accountability for this transgression and violent act,” helium wrote successful a societal media post.

But much than 21 days aft the incident, determination has been nary apprehension successful the case. Since 2022, Israeli soldiers and settlers have killed astatine slightest 10 US citizens. None of the cases person resulted successful transgression charges.

Ayyad was killed arsenic Israeli forces proceed to detain US teen Mohammed Ibrahim without proceedings oregon entree to his family.

Mohammed, 16, has been jailed since February, and his household says it has received reports that helium is drastically losing value and suffering from a tegument infection.

On Friday, Illinois State Representative Abdelnasser Rashid called Ayyad’s decease portion of an “ugly signifier of settler assemblage violence” successful Palestine.

He called for repealing an Illinois authorities instrumentality that penalises boycotts of Israeli firms.

“We request action. Here successful Illinois, we person a instrumentality that punishes companies that take to bash the close happening by boycotting Israel,” Rashid told reporters.

“This shameful authorities instrumentality helps shield Israel’s unit and brutality from consequences.”