Yesterday, Saturday, Safa reported that the killing of the American young man of Palestinian descent, Khamis Abdul Latif Ayad, due to a settler attack on the city of Silwad east of Ramallah, has sparked angry reactions, with demands for holding those responsible for his death accountable.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health clarified that Ayad, who was 40 years old, died from suffocation due to smoke from fires set by settlers and toxic gases released by Israeli soldiers in the town of Silwad.
Settlers launched an organized attack on several areas, including Silwad, Rammun, and Abu Falah, resulting in about 16 vehicles being set on fire.
It is noted that Khamis Ayad was an American citizen of Palestinian descent, who previously resided in Chicago. About 5 years ago, he moved with his family to the West Bank, to his original hometown of Silwad, and continued his job in America through remote work.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations emphasized the need for those behind his death to take responsibility and called for an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice into the incident. The council considered the killing of an American citizen by settlers or under the protection of the Israeli military a serious violation requiring official accountability.
This incident marks the second of its kind in less than a month and is part of a series of violent incidents against Palestinians in the West Bank, committed by settlers. Last month, settlers killed Saif Al-Din Maslat, a resident of the town of Sinjil north of Ramallah, who also held American citizenship.
It is noted that the West Bank is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, extending about 100 kilometers long and 50 kilometers wide, and has been under Israeli control since the 1967 war. Most countries in the world consider this area occupied territory, and its settlements illegal under international law, as confirmed by the International Court of Justice, the highest judicial body of the United Nations, in a decision issued in July 2024.
