U.S. ambassador calls on Israel to “actively investigate” West Bank killings

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said he had asked Israeli authorities to “actively investigate” the killing of a Palestinian American in the occupied West Bank.

Sayfollah Musalt, known as Saif (a 20-year-old U.S. citizen) was beaten to death by Israeli settlers on Friday in the town of Singir, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Huckabee is a supporter of Israeli settlements on Israeli territory after the initial U.S. reaction – described it as a “crime and terrorist bill” on Tuesday.

U.S. President Donald Trump said in a press conference Wednesday that the murder will take place on Thursday, adding: “They will report it to me.”

The Israeli military said on Friday that it was investigating, claiming that “terrorists” threw stones at Israeli civilians and “violent confrontation development”.

Saif Musalat lives in Tampa, Florida and visits relatives in Sinjil, north of Ramallah, when he was killed with his friend Mohammed al-Shalabi.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said al-Shalabi, who lives in a nearby town, died after being shot in the chest. He is 23 years old.

Musalat’s family said their relatives “protected their family’s land from settlers who tried to steal it”.

They added that Israeli settlers also stopped an ambulance from trying to reach Musalat, who died before he could be taken to the hospital.

The family called on the U.S. State Department to investigate.

In his reaction on Tuesday, Hakabi Written on X: “There must be held accountable for this crime and terrorist act. Saif is only 20 years old.”

The U.S. ambassador, former governor of Arkansas and evangelical Christianity, has previously expressed strong support for Israeli settlements – which is considered illegal under international law.

Huckabee has also been criticized by previous U.S. remarks about the ongoing war in Gaza.

He supported the idea of “Greater Israel” – Israel would permanently control the occupied Palestinian territory – and used the biblical term “Jews and Samaritans” to refer to the West Bank.

Last month, he Criticize our alliesincluding the UK and Australia, aims to approve two far-right ministers in the West Bank to “repeatedly incite violence against the Palestinian community.”