14 American Citizens Have Been Killed By Israelis in the Last 20 Years, And There Has Been No Real Accountability
Over the past 25 years, 14 American citizens — including dual nationals — have been killed by Israeli settlers or military forces in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. This count comes from human rights groups like B’Tselem, Yesh Din, and the International Solidarity Movement, UN reports, news coverage from Al Jazeera, Reuters, NPR, and The Guardian, and U.S. State Department statements.
The victims, from 2003 to 2025, were journalists, activists, and Palestinian Americans killed during settler attacks, military raids, protests, and land disputes. Many of these deaths were captured on video or documented by eyewitnesses and autopsies. Yet Israeli authorities have only convicted someone in one case. The U.S. response? Mostly asking Israel to investigate, without launching independent probes or imposing sanctions.
Two American citizens were killed in July 2025 alone. And 16-year-old Mohammed Ibrahim, cousin of one of the victims, was detained without a trial in February 2025 for throwing rocks at settlers trying to encroach on his family’s village. The child remains in an Israeli prison as of October 2025, with no word from Ambassador Mike Huckabee or the US State Department on his detention. It’s a reminder that American citizens in the region are still at risk.
Here’s a breakdown of all 14 Americans who were killed by Israelis since 2000:
- Rachel Corrie, 23
- Date: March 16, 2003
- Location: Rafah, Gaza
- How: Crushed to death by an Israeli military bulldozer while nonviolently protesting the demolition of Palestinian homes as an International Solidarity Movement (ISM) activist. Israel ruled it an accident; no charges were filed despite U.S. calls for an investigation.
- Tom Hurndall, 22
- Date: November 11, 2003 (died after a coma; shot April 11, 2003)
- Location: Rafah, Gaza
- How: A British-American activist shot in the head by an Israeli soldier while shielding Palestinian children from gunfire during an ISM protest. The soldier was convicted of manslaughter and served six years, a rare exception.
- James Miller (James Barclay Miller), 34
- Date: May 2, 2003
- Location: Rafah, Gaza
- How: An American-British filmmaker shot in the head by Israeli troops while filming a documentary on nonviolent protests in Gaza. Israel claimed accidental fire during a nighttime operation; no charges filed.
- Tristan Anderson, 38
- Date: March 13, 2009 (died 2024 after 15 years in a vegetative state)
- Location: Ni’lin, West Bank
- How: An American-Israeli activist shot in the head with a high-velocity tear gas canister by Israeli forces during a protest against the separation wall. He suffered severe brain damage and died in 2024; no charges were filed.
- Omar Assad, 78
- Date: January 12, 2022
- Location: Near Hizma, West Bank
- How: Palestinian American from Milwaukee detained at a checkpoint by soldiers from the Netzah Yehuda battalion; zip-tied, beaten, and left in freezing conditions, leading to a fatal heart attack. Israeli probe closed without charges; U.S. declined sanctions.
- Shireen Abu Akleh, 51
- Date: May 11, 2022
- Location: Jenin, West Bank
- How: Palestinian American Al Jazeera journalist shot in the head by an IDF sniper while wearing a press vest and covering a military raid. Israel admitted likely IDF responsibility after initial denials; no charges were filed, and an FBI probe was inconclusive.
- Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, 17
- Date: January 19, 2024
- Location: Near Jenin, West Bank
- How: A Palestinian American from Louisiana was shot at least 10 times by Israeli forces (possibly with settler involvement) while driving a truck with family. The IDF claimed he posed a threat; witnesses said he was unarmed. No prosecutions.
- Mohammad Khdour, 20
- Date: January 29, 2024
- Location: Near Jenin, West Bank
- How: A Palestinian American from Chicago shot in the head by Israeli forces while driving home unarmed. The IDF labeled him a “terrorist”; family and video evidence disputed this. No charges filed.
- Jacob Flickinger, 33
- Date: April 1, 2024
- Location: Deir al-Balah, Gaza
- How: U.S.-Canadian dual citizen and World Central Kitchen aid worker killed in an IDF airstrike on a clearly marked humanitarian convoy. Israel called it a “grave mistake” due to misidentification; no individual charges filed.
- Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26
- Date: September 6, 2024
- Location: Beita, West Bank
- How: Turkish-American activist shot in the head by Israeli forces during a protest against settler outposts, after clashes had subsided, per witnesses. The U.S. called it “unjustified”; Israeli probe ongoing but criticized as inadequate.
- Omar Rabea / Amer Rabee, 14
- Date: April 7, 2025
- Location: Turmus Ayya, West Bank
- How: A Palestinian American from New Jersey shot 9 –11 times in the head by Israeli forces while picking olives with friends. The IDF claimed he threw rocks; the family said he was unarmed. No accountability.
- Sayfollah “Saif” Musallet, 20
- Date: July 11, 2025
- Location: Sinjil, West Bank
- How: Palestinian American from Florida beaten to death with clubs by masked Israeli settlers while protecting family farmland. The IDF allegedly blocked ambulances for hours. U.S. Ambassador Huckabee called for a probe; no arrests as of October 2025.
- Mohammad al-Shalabi, 23
- Date: July 11, 2025
- Location: Sinjil, West Bank
- How: Palestinian American shot in the chest during the same settler attack as Musallet; unclear if by settlers or IDF present at the scene. No charges filed.
- Khamis al-Ayyad, 40
- Date: July 31, 2025
- Location: Silwad, West Bank
- How: A Palestinian American from Chicago died from smoke inhalation while extinguishing fires set by settlers in a raid on homes and cars. Father of five, visiting family; no arrests, and family demands a U.S. probe.
Is Ambassador Mike Huckabee Refusing to Protect American Citizens from Violent Israeli Settlers?