Senators Demand Investigation After Ninth American Killed by Israeli Settlers or Soldiers in West Bank
More than thirty United States senators have formally requested that the Trump administration launch an independent investigation into the February killing of a nineteen-year-old American citizen in the occupied West Bank. This tragic incident marks the ninth US citizen killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers since the year 2022, prompting lawmakers to cite what they describe as a consistent pattern of Americans being killed without justice or accountability.
Formal Request for Accountability
The letter, spearheaded by Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and addressed to key officials including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Attorney General Pam Bondi, and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, calls for a comprehensive US-led investigation. It demands a full accounting of all nine cases and requests that the administration brief Congress on the killing by April 5th. Notably, none of these cases have resulted in a criminal conviction, raising serious concerns about impunity.
This has now become a consistent pattern in which Americans are being killed in the West Bank by settlers or the Israel Defense Forces without justice or accountability, despite promises from US officials, the lawmakers emphasized in their Wednesday letter, which was shared exclusively with the Guardian. The senators argue that the US government has failed to uphold its duty to protect Americans and secure justice for their deaths.
Details of the Latest Incident
Nasrallah Abu Siyam, a nineteen-year-old born in Philadelphia, was shot on February 18th in the West Bank village of Mukhmas during an attack on Palestinian farmers by a group of masked settlers. Witnesses reported that Israeli soldiers present at the scene did not intervene, provide medical assistance, or make any arrests. The Israel Defense Forces did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the incident.
Broad Senate Support and Notable Absences
The letter garnered signatures from thirty-one Democratic and independent senators, including prominent figures such as Senate Appropriations Vice-Chair Patty Murray, Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Jack Reed, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. However, both of Pennsylvania's senators, Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dave McCormick, were notably absent from the list of signatories, despite Abu Siyam being a native of Philadelphia. Fetterman, who has been one of Israel's most vocal supporters in the Senate in recent years, has not publicly commented on the killing.
Historical Context and Previous Appeals
This marks the second such letter Senator Van Hollen has sent to the Trump administration in less than eight months. In July 2025, he led nearly thirty colleagues in demanding answers over the killing of Sayfollah Musallet, a twenty-year-old from Florida who was beaten to death by settlers. At that time, the State Department stated that it calls for accountability in all cases where US citizens are harmed abroad. Since that appeal, two more Americans have been killed, underscoring the ongoing nature of the crisis.
Profiles of the Victims
The nine American citizens killed span a range of ages and circumstances:
- Shireen Abu Akleh, a renowned Palestinian American journalist, was shot in the head by an Israeli soldier in 2022 while clearly identified as press.
- Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, twenty-six, from Seattle, was also shot in the head during a West Bank protest in 2024.
- Omar Assad, an elderly Palestinian-American, died of a stress-induced heart attack after being gagged, blindfolded, bound, and left on the ground by IDF soldiers.
- Khamis al-Ayyada, forty, died of smoke inhalation in August after a fire was set by Israeli settlers in his village.
- Three of the nine were minors: a fourteen-year-old from New Jersey and two seventeen-year-olds killed in separate incidents.
Escalating Settler Violence and Policy Shifts
Settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has increased sharply over the last two years, with dozens of villages being emptied of their residents, often with the support or participation of Israeli government forces. One of President Trump's first acts upon returning to the White House in January was to revoke a Joe Biden-era executive order that had placed sanctions on settlers implicated in violence. Overnight, thirty-three individuals and organizations lost their designations, which senators believe has led to a subsequent surge in settler violence incidents.
It is unclear to us how many more Americans must die in the West Bank in order for this administration, and other administrations, to take serious, credible steps to secure accountability, the lawmakers wrote, highlighting the urgency of their demand. The US State and Justice Departments did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.
