A Palestinian American died within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution final week after a confrontation with settlers, U.S. officers confirmed.
Khamis Ayyad, who was in his 40s, died Thursday from smoke inhalation in Silwad, a village within the central West Financial institution close to a number of Israeli settlements, a U.S. official advised CBS Information. The Palestinian well being ministry mentioned on Friday that the fires have been set by settlers on properties and autos in Silwad, in accordance with the Agence France-Presse.
Nasser Nasser / AP
A U.S. State Division spokesperson confirmed to CBS Information the demise on Sunday and condemned what they known as “felony violence by any social gathering.”
“We provide condolences to the household on their loss and are offering consular help to them,” the spokesperson mentioned, including that they might not be commenting additional.
Ayyad was laid to relaxation on Friday.
Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua through Getty Photographs 
The Palestinian Authority, which administers a part of the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution, advised AFP that some villages round Silwad additionally got here below assault by settlers, through which autos, properties and farmlands have been set ablaze.
Witnesses mentioned Israeli forces fired reside rounds and tear gasoline towards residents after the settlers attacked.
Israel’s army mentioned police have been investigating the incident. They mentioned safety forces discovered Hebrew graffiti and a burnt car on the scene however had not detained any suspects.
Israeli Police mentioned in a press release that it has opened an investigation into the circumstances of the incident “with a view to decide the details in full.”
“We warning towards drawing conclusions or assigning blame previous to the completion of an expert and evidence-based investigative course of. Speculative claims don’t serve the pursuit of fact or accountability,” the assertion mentioned.
ZAIN JAAFAR/AFP through Getty Photographs 
Ayyad is the most recent Palestinian American to die within the West Financial institution in three weeks.
Saifullah Kamel Musallet, a 20-year-old man from Tampa, was overwhelmed to demise by settlers whereas visiting household within the West Financial institution in July. He was killed in a confrontation with settlers whereas defending his household’s land within the city of Sinjil, north of Ramallah, in accordance with his household and the Palestinian Well being Ministry.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who visited Gaza final week with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, has requested Israel to “aggressively examine the homicide” of Musallet, saying in a social media submit that “there have to be accountability for this felony and terrorist act.”
There was an increase in settler assaults on Palestinians, in addition to Palestinian militant assaults on Israelis and large-scale Israeli army operations within the occupied West Financial institution since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 assault on Israel out of Gaza that triggered the Israel-Hamas struggle.
Hamas-led terrorists killed round 1,200 individuals, largely civilians, that day and kidnapped 251 others. They nonetheless maintain 50 hostages, together with round 20 nonetheless believed to be alive. A lot of the others have been launched in ceasefires or different offers.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed greater than 60,000 Palestinians, in accordance with Gaza’s Well being Ministry, which does not distinguish between militants and civilians and operates below the Hamas authorities. The U.N. and different worldwide organizations see it as probably the most dependable supply of knowledge on casualties.
In Gaza on Sunday, at the very least 23 Palestinians searching for meals have been killed by Israeli forces, in accordance with hospital officers and witnesses, who described going through gunfire as hungry crowds surged round help websites.
Desperation has gripped the Palestinian territory of greater than 2 million, which consultants have warned is going through famine due to Israel’s blockade and almost two-year offensive.
Margaret Brennan
contributed to this report.
