BIDOU, West Bank (AP) — When Sayforumoo Sarulett in Tampa, Florida was beaten two weeks ago by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, he became the fourth Palestinian American to be killed in the occupied territory since the start of the war in Gaza.
No one has been arrested or charged with the murder of Musaloo. And if Israel’s track record on the deaths of the other three is a guide, it seems unlikely to happen. But Musallet’s father and more and more American politicians want to turn the script over.
“We demand justice,” Kamel Musalet said earlier this week at her 20-year-old son’s funeral. “We ask the US government to do something about it.”
Still, other Palestinian American Musallet and relatives doubt that everyone is accountable by Israel or the United States. And they say that Israel and its law enforcement made them feel like the perpetrators – by imposing travel bans and sometimes detaining them and interrogating them.
The Trump administration has stopped its own promising investigation, but the US embassy in Jerusalem has urged Israel to investigate the circumstances of each American death.
Written in X on July 15th, US Israeli Ambassador Mike Huckabee asked Israel to “actively investigate the murders” of Musaloo, saying “we must be accountable for the conduct of this criminal and terrorist.”
Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen and 28 other Democrats are also calling for an investigation. In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pam Bondy’s Attorney General this week, they pointed to a “lack of accountability” after Muslet and other Americans were killed in the West Bank.
Israeli military, police and the Sinbet International Security Agency did not respond to requests for comment on the deaths of Palestinian Americans.
Family members request an independent investigation
Born in America Teenager Tawfic Abdel Jabbar and Mohammad Khdour were killed in an Israeli fire in early 2024 While driving on the West Bank. In April 2025, 14-year-old Amer Rabee from New Jersey was shot in the head at least nine times by Israeli forces as he stood among the green almond tree in his family village.
In both cases, Israeli authorities said there were allegations that the army fired fire on Lockslaughter and were disputed by his family. Testimony obtained by the AP. Israel has pledged to investigate the incident further, but has not released any new findings.
The teens expressed doubt that Israel would investigate in good faith and told the Associated Press that they called for an independent investigation by US authorities. According to Israeli watchdog group Yeshuddin, the murder of Palestinians in the West Bank rarely leads to investigations — and When they docharges are rare.
The US Department of Justice has jurisdiction to investigate the deaths of citizens abroad, but does so after obtaining permission from the host government and usually working with the host country’s law enforcement agency. The US embassy in Jerusalem refused to say whether the US had launched an independent investigation into the killings.
An embassy spokesman said in a statement that an investigation into the deaths of four Americans is “ongoing” in Israel, pushing its staff to move quickly and transparently to Israeli authorities.
In a statement to the Associated Press, a spokesman for the embassy said, “We continue to ask for a complete, transparent and prompt investigation in each case, and we continue to understand that they are ongoing and that they are ongoing.”
Senator Van Hollen said when the US deals with Israel, “we will not pursue these cases with the vitality necessary or get serious cooperation.”
“And instead of demanding cooperation and accountability, we kind of stop it. It’s not acceptable. It’s unacceptable that American citizens are killed in immunity,” Maryland Democrats said.
Israel says it will hold soldiers and settlers accountable
Israel holds soldiers and settlers to describe under the scope of the law, saying the lack of prosecution does not imply a lack of effort.
A prominent recent incident was the death of Shireen Abu Akure, a Palestinian-American Al Jazeera Palestinian-American journalist who was killed in the West Bank in 2022. An independent US analysis of the circumstances of her death found that a fire from an Israeli soldier could be “responsible” for her murder, but said it looked like an accident.
Despite Israeli military investigations with similar conclusions, no one was disciplined.
According to the United Nations, violence by Israeli forces and settlers has flareed up on the West Bank since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. The dead included stone throws and bystanders who were not involved in violence, but some were extremists killed in the battle with Israel.
Instead of justice, restrictions and detention
Rather than the path to justice, the families of Khdour, Rabee and Abdel Jabbar say they have faced challenges since their deaths.
Born in Miami, Florida, Khdour was shot dead in April 2024 while driving in Bidou, a town on the west bank near Jerusalem, and has been living since he was two years old. Abdel Jabbar was killed while driving on a dirt road near his village on the west bank of the north Jordan River, Al Mazra As Sharkiya.
Khdour’s cousin, Malek Mansour, the only witness, told the Associated Press that he was questioned by both Israeli and American investigators and repeated his testimony that Shot came from a white pickup on Israeli territory.
He believes investigators didn’t push hard enough to understand who killed his cousin.
“This issue ended like many people who were martyred (slayed),” said Hanan Khdour, Khdour’s mother.
Two months after his death, Israeli forces stormed the family’s home, and Mohammad’s brother, Omar Kudur, 23, is also an American citizen.
Video filmed by the family and shared on the Associated Press Show, Omar Kdoll was blindfolded and handcuffed, and Israeli soldiers led him out of the building into an army jeep with a riot device.
He said he was threatened while questioning and held from 4am to 3pm to warn him not to pursue the incident.
“To be American here doesn’t mean anything.”
Omar Kudor said it prevented Israeli soldiers from checkpoint from leaving the West Bank to visit Israel or Jerusalem. The fathers of two other Palestinian Americans who were murdered since October 7, 2023 reported similar restrictions.
Tawfic Abdel Jabbar’s father, Hafeth Abdel Jabbar, said he and his wife were being prevented from leaving the West Bank for seven months. His son, 22-year-old Amir Abdel Jabbar, remains limited.
Amer Rabee’s father says he and his wife have also been stuck on the West Bank since the murder of his son. He showed an AP email from the US Embassy in Jerusalem. Consul officials told him that Israel imposed a travel ban on him, but it was unclear why.
Israeli authorities did not respond to comments regarding detention or travel restrictions.
Laby said that in a land where violence against Palestinians has not been checked, his family’s American passport is nothing more than a blue book.
“We are all American citizens,” Laby said. “But here, to us, it means nothing to be American.”
