U.S. citizen reportedly killed in the West Bank as dozens die in Gaza

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 28 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, hospital officials said Saturday. Meanwhile, there were reports Saturday that a U.S. citizen was killed in the West Bank. 

A family statement identified the man as Palestinian-American Saif Musallet, 20, who had traveled from Florida to visit relatives in the West Bank. The family statement said he was fatally beaten by Israeli settlers in a confrontation while protecting his family's land. The settlers then "surrounded Saif for over three hours" and prevented paramedics and an ambulance from reaching him, according to the family. The Palestinian Health Ministry said the incident occurred in Sinjil, a village north of Ramallah. 

The Musallet family called for the State Department to conduct an investigation into the incident. The State Department said it was aware of reports that a U.S. citizen had died in the territory, but did not confirm the person's identity or cause of death. Violence in the West Bank is on the rise, with Israeli settlers expanding their efforts to occupy land in the contested region. The United Nations considers the Israeli settlements illegal.