The family of an American citizen who was killed in a settlers in the occupied West Bank calls on the administration of President Donald Trump to open his own investigation into the incident.
Parents from Khamis Ayyad, 40, who died in the city of Silwad, north of Ramallah, confirmed on Friday that he was an American citizen and called for justice in the case.
Ayyad – father of five children and former resident of Chicago – was the second American citizen to be killed in the West Bank in July. Earlier this month, the Israeli settlers beat Sayfollah Musallet, 20, in Sinjil, a city close to Silwad.
Besides the relatives of Ayyad, William Asfour, the coordinator of operations of the Chicago section of the American-Islamic Relations Council (CAIR), described the murder as a “murder”.
“We demand a complete investigation by the Ministry of Justice,” said Asfour. “An American citizen was killed. Where is the responsibility? “
According to Mahmoud Issa, the 40 -year -old cousin killed, the settlers burned cars outside the house of Ayyad at dawn on Thursday.
Ayyad woke up to put out the fire, but the Israeli army presented itself on the scene and began to draw tear gas in its direction.
The family believes that Ayyad died by inhaling tear gas and smoke from vehicles on fire.
“How more?
The attacks of settlers against the Palestinian communities in the West Bank, which US officials have described as “terrorism”, has increased for months, in particular since Israel launched his war against Gaza in October 2023.
The Israeli residents of the illegal colonies came down to the Palestinian communities, the ransacked districts and the cars and houses on fire.
The colonists, protected by the Israeli army, are often armed and shoot at will against the Palestinians who try to stop them.
The Israeli army has also intensified its mortal raids, home demolitions and travel campaigns in the West Bank.
Last month, the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, approved a non -binding motion to annex the West Bank.
And Thursday, two best Israeli ministers, Yariv Levin and Israel Katz, called the current circumstances “a moment of opportunity” to affirm “Israeli sovereignty” in the region.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to carry out a brutal assault in Gaza, which, according to the rights defense groups, is equivalent to a genocide.
Friday, from Cair-Chicago stressed that the murder of Ayyad is not an isolated incident.
“Another American was killed in the West Bank just a few weeks ago,” he said, referring to Musallet.
“How much more before the United States takes action to protect its citizens abroad?” The settlers burn houses, the soldiers support them and our government sends billions to finance all of this. ”
The US State Department did not respond to the request for comments from Tel Aviv Tribune at the time of publication.
No arrest in the case of musallet
Last month, Musallet’s family also urged an American investigation into their murder.
But Washington resisted calls to probe the abuses of Israel against American citizens, arguing that the Israeli authorities are better equipped to investigate their own military forces and settlers.
Mike Huckabee, American ambassador to Israel, called Israel to “investigate the murder” of Musallet in July.
“There must be a responsibility for this criminal and terrorist act,” he wrote in an article on social networks.
But more than 21 days after the incident, there was no arrest in the case. Since 2022, Israeli soldiers and settlers have killed at least 10 American citizens. None of the cases led to criminal charges.
Ayyad was killed while Israeli forces continue to hold us the teenager Mohammed Ibrahim without trial or access to his family.
Mohammed, 16, has been imprisoned since February, and his family said that he has received information that he radically loses weight and suffers from a skin infection.
Friday, the representative of the State of Illinois, Abdelnasser Rashid, described the part of the death of Ayyad as a “ugly scheme of colonial violence of the colonists” in Palestine.
He called for the repeal of a law of the State of Illinois which penalizes the boycotts of Israeli companies.
“We need action. Here in Illinois, we have a law that punishes companies that choose to do the right thing by boycotting Israel,” Rashid told journalists.
“This shameful state law helps protect the violence and brutality of Israel from consequences.”
