PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Federal, state and Philadelphia officials are demanding an investigation into the death of a Philadelphia teenager, who was shot to death in the West Bank last month.
Nasrallah Abu Siyam loved horses, according to his family. His cousin, Kalil Syed, said the 19-year-old was with farmers in the West Bank, trying to stop a group of armed settlers from stealing livestock, when he was shot and killed on the first day of Ramadan, Feb. 18.
“A checkpoint stopped my cousin from getting to the hospital in time — over two hours — and just bled to death,” Syed said.
Syed spoke in City Council this week in support of a resolution for a full investigation of his death. Gov. Josh Shapiro has also asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate, and 30 U.S. senators urged Bondi and the State Department to open an investigation and hold the perpetrators accountable.
Neither of Pennsylvania’s senators signed the letter on behalf of their own constituent and both declined comment. The Department of Justice also declined to comment. The State Department said it expects a full investigation but did not state it would be involved.
Siyam’s uncle Hassan Syed stays hopeful.
“All we want is justice, and hopefully, hopefully, we get justice for my nephew, where I can be able to call his mom and dad, who are mourning every single day, and tell them, ‘We got justice for your son,’” he said.
Siyam is the ninth American to be killed in the West Bank since 2022 and the third in the last seven months.