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**Family Demands US Probe into Killing of Chicago Resident in West Bank**
**Silwad, Occupied West Bank** – The family of Khamis Ayyad, a 40-year-old former Chicago resident and U.S. citizen killed in the occupied West Bank, is urging the Trump administration to launch an independent investigation into his death. Ayyad died in the town of Silwad on Thursday, allegedly from tear gas inhalation after Israeli settlers reportedly set fire to cars near his home.
Family members claim that when Ayyad went outside to extinguish the blaze, Israeli soldiers arrived and began firing tear gas, leading to his death. This incident follows the killing of another U.S. citizen, 20-year-old Sayfollah Musallet, in the West Bank earlier in July, heightening concerns about the safety of Americans in the region.
“We demand a full investigation from the Department of Justice,” said William Asfour of CAIR-Chicago. “An American citizen was killed. Where’s the accountability?”
The call for a US investigation comes amidst escalating settler violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank, particularly since the start of the war on Gaza. According to Ayyad’s cousin, settlers torched cars outside Ayyad’s home around dawn on Thursday. Settler attacks, often carried out with the protection of the Israeli military, have included ransacking neighborhoods and setting homes ablaze.
While U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, called for an aggressive investigation into Musallet’s death last month, no arrests have been made. Critics point to a pattern of impunity, noting that none of the cases involving the deaths of at least 10 US citizens by Israeli soldiers and settlers since 2022 have resulted in criminal charges.
The situation is further complicated by ongoing Israeli military actions in the West Bank, including raids, home demolitions, and a recent non-binding motion by the Knesset to annex the territory. Illinois State Representative Abdelnasser Rashid has condemned Ayyad’s death as part of an “ugly pattern of settler colonial violence” and called for repealing a state law that penalizes boycotts of Israeli firms.
The U.S. State Department has not yet responded to requests for comment. The US typically avoids probing abuses committed by Israel against American citizens, deferring to the Israeli authorities to carry out their own investigation.
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