US Confirms Death of Palestinian-American Man in West Bank Settler Attack

Khamis Ayyad, Father of Five, Dies from Smoke Inhalation After Israeli Settlers Set Fires in Silwad

Palestine, PUREWILAYAH.COM - The US State Department has confirmed the death of Khamis Ayyad, a 40-year-old Palestinian-American, following an arson attack by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. Ayyad, a husband and father of five, died on Thursday from smoke inhalation after settlers set fire to vehicles and homes in the village of Silwad, northeast of Ramallah.

According to local residents, Ayyad was trying to help extinguish the fires to save others when he was overcome by smoke. He had moved back to the West Bank five years ago with his family, while continuing to work remotely for an American company.

A US State Department spokesperson, while confirming the death of a US citizen in Silwad, condemned the violence but did not provide further details. Israeli authorities stated that several suspects set fire to property and vehicles in the area, and that an investigation is underway.

Ayyad’s death marks the second killing of a Palestinian-American in the West Bank by settlers in the past month, following the fatal beating of 20-year-old Sayfollah Musallet in Sinjil. The incidents come amid a surge in settler violence in the occupied territories, with over 1,000 Palestinians killed and more than 7,000 injured by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank since October 2023, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The West Bank, home to about three million Palestinians and 500,000 Israeli settlers, remains a flashpoint for violence as international calls grow for accountability and an end to the occupation. (PW)

Source: PressTv