Tampa Islamic leaders, family of man killed in West Bank call for justice

Family of Tampa man killed in Palestine speaks out

The family of Saif Musallet, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen and Tampa resident killed during a trip to the West Bank, joined Islamic leaders on Monday to call for "urgent U.S. government action" in the aftermath of his death. Ariel Plasencia reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - The family of Saif Musallet, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen and Tampa resident killed during a trip to the West Bank, joined Islamic leaders on Monday to call for "urgent U.S. government action" in the aftermath of his death.

Death of Saif Musallet

The backstory:

Musallet's family says he was camping with two other men on Friday night when a group of Israeli settlers attacked them.

Saif and one of the other men died. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that Saif died from injuries sustained in the assault.

Courtesy: Family of Sayfollah Musallet.

The U.S. State Department confirmed it is aware of reports involving the death of a U.S. citizen in the West Bank, and the Israeli government said it is looking into what it described as "a violent confrontation involving Palestinians and Israeli civilians."

Hiba Rahim, the Deputy Executive Director of CAIR Florida, says that this tragedy is not isolated.

What they're saying:

"This is not an isolated tragedy," Rahim said. "There is a devastating pattern of Americans being killed in Israel, brutalized and murdered with impunity by Israeli forces and settlers."

Family of man killed in West Bank calls for justice

The family of Saif Musallet, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen and Tampa resident killed during a trip to the West Bank, joined Islamic leaders on Monday to call for "urgent U.S. government action" in the aftermath of his death.

Rahim is calling on the U.S. government to treat all American citizens the same and to bring Saif's killers to justice.

"It should not be that your passport only protects you if you come from a certain religion or belong to a certain ethnicity," she said. "We’re calling on President Trump, the U.S. State Department and the Department of Justice to find those who committed this crime, to arrest them, and to prosecute them under U.S. law for the murder of an American citizen."

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Dig deeper:

Musallet was born and raised in Port Charlotte before moving to Tampa and purchasing an ice cream shop in North Tampa, which he hoped to someday expand.

Courtesy: Family of Sayfollah Musallet.

His trip to the West Bank was meant to be a time to reconnect with loved ones, according to his family.

The Israeli government has not yet confirmed who was responsible for the deaths. Officials described the incident as a "violent confrontation involving Palestinians and Israeli civilians." No charges have been filed.

What's next:

A vigil will be held for Saif on Saturday, July 19.