The family of a 20-year-old Tampa man killed Friday in the West Bank is calling on the U.S. government to investigate and hold those responsible for his death accountable. Sayfollah Musallet had been visiting family and friends in the region when, according to his loved ones and the Palestinian Health Ministry, he was beaten to death by Israeli settlers amid escalating violence in the occupied territory. “He was just gagging because of the pain, because of the beating,” his uncle, Hesam Musallet, recalled. “His brother saw him take his last breath.” Musallet, an American citizen born in Port Charlotte, lived in Tampa and dreamed of growing his and his father’s ice cream business "Ice Screamin" in Tampa. Saif was killed just weeks before his 21st birthday, his body carried to his final resting place on Sunday. “There is no confusion in this story. This was a cold-blooded murder,” Hiba Rahim, the deputy executive director of the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Florida, said. “Our government needs to remove the curtain of deception from its eyes and demand a stance.” CAIR, the state’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, is joining the family in urging the U.S. State Department to launch a full investigation and seek justice. “We’re calling on our government 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,” Rahim said during the news conference. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said there is “no higher priority than the safety of U.S. citizens overseas,” but declined to provide further details out of respect for the family’s privacy, referring questions to the Israeli government. Israeli officials told CNN they are investigating the case. But Musallet’s family fears there will be no accountability as a result. “We’re calling for no more than the protection of our government to our citizens,” a family member said. “Those who murder our citizens here or abroad — our government should do everything within its reach to bring them to justice.” Musallet is the fifth American killed in the West Bank since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023. His family plans to hold a candlelight vigil in Tampa this Saturday in his honor.