CAIR-Chicago to Call for DOJ Probe of Killing of U.S. Citizen by Israeli Forces, Illegal Settlers in Occupied West Bank

Later today, the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) will hold a news conference to condemn the brutal murder of Khamis Ayyad, an American citizen from the Chicagoland and call for a DOJ probe.

Khamis Ayyad was a beloved father of five, whose life was tragically taken during a settler arson attack in the occupied West Bank on July 31, 2025, that targeted Palestinian cars and homes in the town of Silwad where Khamis rushed to help extinguish the fires. He was killed by the smoke, and reportedly gas fired by the Israeli army.

WHAT: Press Conference on Murder of US Citizen in The West Bank
WHEN: Friday, August 1, 3 pm
WHERE: Azima Center, CAIR-Chicago – 17 N State Street, Chicago, IL, Suite 1500

WHO: CAIR-Chicago Staff, Laith Ayyad (brother of Khamis Ayyad), cousins and family members

Khamis Ayyad’s tragic killing is not an isolated incident; it is emblematic of the pervasive injustice faced by Palestinians and the urgent need for accountability, human rights protections, and immediate US pressure to stave off the violence in Gaza and the West Bank that is often funded by American taxpayers.

SEE: Palestinian man dies in Israeli settler arson attack in occupied West Bank

As the genocide and starvation campaigns in Gaza rage on, reports indicate that illegal Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank has increased in frequency and intensity – often with the backing of the Israeli military – as far-right Israeli ministers signaled impunity for attackers.

Earlier this week, Awdah Hathaleen, a Palestinian from Masafer Yatta, the community whose resistance to Israeli settler violence was documented in the Oscar-winning film No Other Land, with which he helped, was killed by an Israeli settler. The suspect, identified as Yinon Levi, was placed under house arrest on Tuesday after a Magistrate Court in Jerusalem declined to keep him in custody.

Earlier in July, another American citizen from Tampa was murdered in the West Bank.

SEE: World Palestinian-American from Tampa beaten to death in West Bank

According to the latest data from the UN’s humanitarian office (OCHA), at least 159 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops in the West Bank between January 1 and July 21 of this year.

The cycle of settler violence, military incursions, and oppressive policies underpin a climate of fear and instability that deeply affects families like Khamis Ayyad’s.

CAIR Chicago calls on the White House, Congress, and Illinois elected officials to condemn the murder of Khamis Ayyad and call for an end to funding occupation and apartheid.

Our thoughts are with Khamis Ayyad’s family and loved ones during this heartbreaking time. We reaffirm our commitment to advocating for justice, human rights, and the dignity of all individuals affected by this ongoing conflict.

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.