Kim Jong Un s-a întâlnit cu ministrul rus de externe, Serghei Lavrov, în orașul portuar Wonsan. Întâlnirea a avut loc în contextul în care analiștii sugerează că Coreea de Nord va trimite mai multe trupe pentru a lupta alături de Rusia în cadrul ofensivei sale împotriva Ucrainei.
Sursa: DW
Police and prosecutors in eastern Germany announced the discovery of 1.7 million captagon pills hidden in delivery pallets at a green grocer.
Authorities say it is one of the single biggest amphetamine busts ever in Germany, worth more than €20 million.
The Federal Constitutional Court will rule Tuesday on whether the German government is obliged to stop the US from using its Ramstein Air Base to conduct drone strikes in third countries.
Below, you’ll find a roundup of news, analysis and background from Germany on Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13.
Skip next section Bundestag chief wants rainbow flags out of German parliament07/13/2025July 13, 2025
Jens Thurau
Julia Klöckner, the president of Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, has been engaging in debates about whether political and cultural symbols have a place in the German legislature.
The Bundestag’s administration has ordered deputies to immediately remove rainbow flags displayed in and around their parliamentary offices.
Klöckner opposed the rainbow flag’s being flown above the Bundestag on Christopher Street Day, as pride is known in Germany. In the past, flags were generally permitted.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has expressed support for Klöckner. On the well-known Maischberger talk show aired by public broadcaster ARD, Merz said “the Bundestag is not a circus tent” where any flag could be raised at will, adding that the flag would be flown just once..
Read more to find out why Klöckner decided to have all rainbow flags removed.
https://p.dw.com/p/4xOseSkip next section Merz committed to find solution to Trump’s tariff war07/13/2025July 13, 2025
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Sunday he will work closely with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron to resolve the escalating trade war between the EU and the US.
“We want to use this time now, the two and a half weeks until August 1, to find a solution. I am really committed to this,” Merz told German public broadcaster ARD.
The prerequisite for this is unity within the European Union and reasonable dialogue with the US president, according to Merz, who said he had spoken “intensively” with von der Leyen and Macron over the weekend.
US President Donald Trump’s proposed 30% tariffs on goods from the EU “would hit the German export industry to the core,” Merz said.
His comments came after Macron on Saturday urged the European Commission to “resolutely defend European interests.”
Like Macron, Merz agreed that European countermeasures would be necessary if no agreement was reached. “But not before August 1,” he added.
https://p.dw.com/p/4xP1eSkip next section German president backs return to compulsory military service07/13/2025July 13, 2025
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has voiced his support for a return to compulsory military service to boost the country’s armed forces.
“I am in favor of compulsory military service,” Steinmeier told the ZDF public broadcaster in an interview on Sunday.
Steinmeier justified his position with Europe’s changing security situation, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the US disengagement from transatlantic relations.
He also said Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who plans to start with 15,000 new voluntary conscripts, is right to try to make joining the German armed forces, or Bundeswehr, more attractive.
But no one knows whether that will be enough, he added. “That is why we now need a debate on conscription, even if we cannot implement it overnight,” said Steinmeier.
After more than 50 years of conscription, Germany suspended military service in 2011. But it is not removed in Germany’s constitution, the Basic Law.
https://p.dw.com/p/4xOtwSkip next section German president calls for quick appointment of top judges07/13/2025July 13, 2025
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Sunday urged the country’s parliamentarians to quickly get on with the task of appointing new judges to the Federal Constitutional Court.
Steinmeier, speaking with German public broadcaster ZDF, said he did not agree with those claiming the surprise delay of a Friday vote on appointments damaged the country’s top court, rather, he said: “If you look at the papers this weekend, you’ll immediately learn one thing: the coalition appears to have damaged itself.”
Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU/CSU triggered the delay by withdrawing support for one of the judges put forth by its SPD coalition partners.
Steinmeier also placed blame on the Bundestag, which was responsible for holding the vote, saying the delay “was no small matter” and adding that the “authority and operability of the Constitutional Court” hangs in the balance.
Steinmeier said the court could be harmed, however, if a vote is not taken quickly, adding, “if that is not the case we should be concerned.”
The president warned that as politics becomes more polarized, things become more difficult for centrist parties.
Steinmeier said centrists have an obligation to insure Germany remains politically stable, saying they should seek to legislate accordingly. “It is absolutely clear that if the parties of the political center… the democratic center… fail, then the destructive parties on the fringes will profit.”
Speaking of the country’s judges, Steinmeier said, “We should not over-politicize them, because in the end judges at the Constitutional Court are judges — and not party representatives.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4xOjMSkip next section Health Minister Warken wants tough penalties for assaults on medical staff07/13/2025July 13, 2025
German Health Minister Nina Warken told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) newspaper in an interview to be published Monday that the government must send a signal to anyone who feels emboldened to abuse doctors or medical personnel.
The German Hospital Association (DKG) has long called for such measures, saying verbal and physical attacks on medical personnel have increased of late, arguing that punishment for such crimes must be put on par with those for attacks on firefighters and first responders.
Warken said “it is totally unacceptable to attack those who are helping others,” adding, “the state has to take decisive action.”
“Harsher penalties would make clear,” said Warken, “that society vehemently condemns any and all violence and aggression targeting doctors, EMTs and hospital staff.”
Andreas Gassen, head of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), described such violence as an everyday occurrence and called for family doctors and their teams to be specifically included in any new legislation.
Gassen, also speaking with the FAZ, said, “a very small group of people are stepping over the line and threatening doctors and medical staff.”
According to Gassen, a recent poll found that 85% of all responding doctors and hospital staff reported having been insulted or threatened over the past five years — 80% said they had been personally attacked within the past year.
More than 40% of the nearly 7,600 individuals participating to the poll said they had been physically assaulted by patients within the past five years.
Medical experts say German hospitals have begun hiring security staff, offering conflict de-escalation and self-defense courses for employees, changing the layout of waiting rooms, even making sure that at least one physically imposing employee is always on staff — all at their own cost — to protect employees.
https://p.dw.com/p/4xOauSkip next section Vice-Chancellor Klingbeil on US tariffs: ‘We will not go along with everything’07/13/2025July 13, 2025
German Finance Minister and Vice-Chancellor Lars Klingbeil on Sunday told the country’s Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper that Berlin and Brussels are prepared to negotiate what he called a fair deal with US President Donald Trump over tariffs but added they are only willing to go so far.
“Our hand remains outstretched,” said Klingbeil, “but we will not go along with everything.”
“If a fair negotiated solution does not succeed, then we must take decisive countermeasures to protect jobs and companies in Europe.”
Expressing regret over Trump’s decision to declare a unilateral 30% import tax on EU goods from August 1, Klingbeil said countermeasures “must be prepared,” adding the EU must be ready to take “decisive” action if the situation continues to escalate.
“Trump’s tariffs,” said the Social Democrat, “produce only losers. They threaten the US economy as much as they do European businesses. That is why we should end this trade war.”
“No one needs new threats or provocations. We need to continue serious and focused negotiations between the EU and US,” said Klingbeil, adding, “we want a fair deal.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4xONrSkip next section Top court to rule on German role in US drone strikes abroad07/13/2025July 13, 2025
The Federal Constitutional Court will decide on Tuesday whether Germany has an obligation to protect third-country citizens from US drone missions that depend on data from US bases in Germany — specifically from Ramstein Air Base in the southwest.
The top court will rule in a case brought on appeal by two Yemeni citizens who say the German government did not do enough to prevent the killing of civilians in their village. Lower courts have been unable to definitively answer the question, though Berlin vehemently denies any negligence.
The men say Germany has an obligation to protect their right to life and that Berlin must investigate — and if necessary — stop the US from carrying out such missions.
Berlin says Washington has given guarantees that it is not violating international humanitarian law and that no US drones are launched, landed or controlled from Ramstein. The base, says the US, merely serves as a data relay point linking the Pentagon to drones at other sites — in this case Yemen — using satellite technology.
Vezi toate știrile de pe actualizări germania poliția
Berlin has said it has done enough and that to take further steps would put its EU and NATO relations into question.
The German government says that Berlin and Washington maintain “an ongoing and trusted dialog” when it comes to activities at Ramstein.
The Constitutional Court will now determine whether Germany has any such third-party obligations and whether Ramstein’s role as a data relay represents a substantial enough German territorial tie to warrant German intervention.
https://p.dw.com/p/4xO3MSkip next section Massive amphetamine find at eastern German green grocer07/13/2025July 13, 2025
Police in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt say they have made what is likely one of the largest-ever discoveries of fenethylline in German. Better known under the brand name Captagon, the amphetamine was discovered hidden among pallets full of oil-producing fruits and vegetables at a grocery store in the city of Landsberg.
Police seized 20 pallets on Saturday.
Authorities say some 300 kilos of the drug — in the form of 1.7 million pills — has an estimated street value of €20 million (
Police and prosecutors said, “This is likely one of the largest single seizures of this substance in Germany,” adding that investigations are ongoing.
https://p.dw.com/p/4xO4GSkip next section Welcome to our Sunday coverage07/13/2025July 13, 2025
Jon Shelton with AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters | Saim Dušan Inayatullah Editor
Guten Tag from Bonn!
Following the pause, DW resumes its coverage of news and analysis from Germany.
On Sunday, German police announced the biggest discovery of Captagon amphetamines in the country’s history. Authorities in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt say some 300 kilograms (around 661 pounds) of the drug were discovered in delivery pallets at a local vegetable shop.
Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court will also rule this Tuesday on whether Berlin has an obligation to halt US drone missions in third-countries that depend on assistance from US bases in Germany.
Stay tuned for more, and we hope you enjoy reading!
https://p.dw.com/p/4xO30Skip next section Starmer to discuss unauthorized migration with Merz07/13/2025July 13, 2025
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the coming days to discuss border security, calling irregular migration “a global problem.”
In an op-ed for the Sunday Express, Starmer wrote that Merz’s visit will include talks on “what more we can do together to prosecute criminal networks and prevent people smuggling to the U.K.”
“The networks of these criminal gangs stretch across countless countries and legal systems, showing no respect for our borders,” he wrote.
“We’ll go further to tackle this shared issue together,” he added.
https://p.dw.com/p/4xNKWSkip next section We’re pausing our coverage07/13/2025July 13, 2025
Saturday was a fairy tale for Germany’s castles, and a horror story for its women’s football team.
Let’s say the only thing getting defended well was Neuschwanstein.
What surprises does Sunday have in store? Join us again in the morning as we continue our coverage.
https://p.dw.com/p/4xNISSkip next section Sweden crushes Germany at the Euros07/12/2025July 12, 2025
Sweden made the most of Germany defender Carlotta Wamser’s expulsionImage: Miguel Medina/AFP
Sweden made a big statement at the Women’s European Championship with a dominant 4-1 win over Germany.
Both teams had already secured a spot in the quarterfinals, but this result gives Sweden a potentially smoother path to the final.
Sweden will face the runner-up of Group D in the quarter-finals, with Germany facing the team that tops that group. That will be France,
England or the Netherlands.
Read how it went wrong for Germany by clicking here.
https://p.dw.com/p/4xNHFSkip next section Boat accident at Eibsee: Bodies of father and son found07/12/2025July 12, 2025
Eibsee lake in southern Germany is popular among both tourists and localsImage: Elke Münzel/CHROMORANGE/picture alliance
One week after a father and his son went missing in Eibsee lake in southern Germany, rescue teams have recovered their bodies, German police reported Saturday.
Investigators believe that the 6-year-old boy fell into the lake while the family of four was out on the Eibsee, a Bavarian Alpine lake located at the foot of Germany’s highest mountain, the Zugspitze.
His 33-year-old father jumped in to rescue the child, but neither of them resurfaced, police said, adding that there are no signs of foul play.
The mother and the couple’s daughter were also on the pedal boat at the time. The family is from the southern state of Bavaria, according to the police.
Emergency responders conducted an intensive, week-long search operation to find the pair.
https://p.dw.com/p/4xN3VSkip next section Which Bavarian palaces have been added to the World Heritage list?07/12/2025July 12, 2025
https://p.dw.com/p/4xMylSkip next section Economy Minister Reiche calls for ‘pragmatic’ tariff solution07/12/2025July 12, 2025
Economy Minister Katherina Reiche is calling for a pragmatic solution to the escalating trade warImage: Katharina Kausche/dpa/picture alliance
Economy Minister Katherina Reiche said that the US tariffs “would hit European exporting companies hard,” following US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would impose 30% tariffs on all EU goods.
“At the same time, they would also have a strong impact on the economy and consumers on the other side of the Atlantic,” Reiche said in an emailed statement.
“A pragmatic outcome to the negotiations must be reached quickly,” she added.
You can read more about the reactions to Trump’s tariff announcement on Saturday in our special blog.
https://p.dw.com/p/4xMtqShow more postsJon Shelton Writer, translator and editor with DW’s online news team.Send us your feedback
Sursa: DW
Administrația Bundestagului, supravegheată de Klöckner, a ordonat deputaților să îndepărteze imediat steagurile curcubeu afișate în și în jurul birourilor lor parlamentare. Steagul reprezintă comunitățile LGBTQ+. Motivul invocat de administrația Bundestagului este că afișarea steagurilor în parlament este „fundamental interzisă, indiferent de simbolismul lor”. Un purtător de cuvânt a adăugat că au existat rapoarte din partea deputaților conform cărora steagurile curcubeu afișate la ferestrele birourilor erau clar vizibile din exterior.
Alineatul 4 din regulamentul de funcționare al Bundestagului prevede că „afișarea de anunțuri, în special postere, semne și autocolante pe uși, pereți sau ferestre în clădirile general accesibile ale Bundestagului german, precum și pe ferestrele și fațadele acestor clădiri vizibile din exterior, nu este permisă”.
Culorile și steagurile curcubeu sunt simboluri larg recunoscute ale comunităților queer. Imagine: Christoph Hardt/Panama Pictures/picture alliance
În trecut, steagurile erau în general permise. Acum, Stella Meredino, membră a partidului de stânga, a raportat că poliția federală a fost chemată din cauza unui steag curcubeu în biroul său din Bundestag.
Klöckner, fost ministru al agriculturii, care este președintele Bundestagului de la sfârșitul lunii martie, este o conservatoare combativă. Ea deține a doua cea mai înaltă funcție din țară și se așteaptă să prezideze ședințele Bundestagului cât mai independent posibil – liberă de interesele de partid – pentru a se asigura că dezbaterile se desfășoară într-un mod factual și calm. De asemenea, ea reprezintă Bundestagul în ansamblu și, prin urmare, toți deputații din cadrul acestuia. Cu toate acestea, Klöckner este cunoscută pentru declarațiile provocatoare făcute împotriva Verzilor și a Stângii, precum și împotriva social-democraților, partenerii minoritari din guvernul condus de CDU-ul ei.
Ea a atras mânia deputaților LGBTQ+ și a celor care se consideră aliați ai comunităților queer atunci când s-a opus arborării steagului curcubeu deasupra Bundestagului de Ziua Christopher Street, așa cum este cunoscută mândria în Germania. Ridicarea drapelului pentru CSD a devenit o tradiție încă din 2022. Klöckner și-a justificat refuzul pe motive de neutralitate.
Un drapel curcubeu a fost ridicat pentru prima dată deasupra Bundestagului de Ziua Christopher Street 2022. Imagine: Christoph Soeder/dpa/picture alliance
De acum înainte, drapelul va fi ridicat pe 17 mai, Ziua Internațională împotriva Homofobiei, Bifobiei și Transfobiei. Aceasta, deși în mod tradițional, CSD marchează cea mai importantă dată a anului pentru comunitatea queer. Anul acesta, CSD cade pe 26 iulie. Niciun drapel nu va flutura deasupra Bundestagului. Nici măcar o petiție semnată de aproximativ 220.000 de persoane care solicită o regândire nu i-a schimbat părerea lui Klöckner.
Criticii spun că Klöckner nu recunoaște presiunile cu care se confruntă comunitățile queer în acest moment. Membra Partidului Verde, Lamya Kaddor, a declarat pentru DW că Klöckner dă dovadă de o „înțelegere bigotă” a neutralității. „Într-o perioadă în care persoanele queer, și, prin urmare, societatea liberală, sunt din ce în ce mai mult ținta atacurilor și a unei retorici pline de ură, nu ne putem permite o astfel de noțiune formalistă de neutralitate. Responsabilitatea politică înseamnă protejarea libertății și demnității tuturor oamenilor.”
Cancelarul Friedrich Merz, membru al CDU, și-a exprimat sprijinul pentru Klöckner. În cadrul cunoscutei emisiuni *Maischberger*, difuzată de postul public de radio ARD, Merz a declarat că „Bundestagul nu este un cort de circ” unde orice steag poate fi ridicat după bunul plac. El a spus că există o zi pe an, 17 mai, când steagul curcubeu flutură de pe clădirea parlamentului.
Urmărește cele mai importante știri
Lamya Kaddor a criticat decizia lui Klöckner de a elimina toate steagurile curcubeu. Imagine: dts-Agentur/picture alliance
Miercuri, însă, Merz a vorbit în sprijinul comunităților queer din Bundestag. „Facem tot ce putem pentru a permite persoanelor queer să trăiască o viață bună și sigură în societatea noastră”, a spus Merz. El a adăugat că „sunt personal angajat să mă asigur că acest lucru este valabil și se îmbunătățește”. Ostilitatea față de persoanele queer, a spus Merz, „nu este o ofensă banală și nu este potrivită pentru glume ieftine”.
La fel ca Klöckner, adjuncții ei sunt toți noi în această funcție. Una dintre ele, Josephine Ortleb din partea social-democraților, a declarat recent săptămânalului german Die Zeit că și ea are un steag curcubeu expus în biroul său din Bundestag. Ea a spus că „nu ar trebui să pară că simbolurile queer sunt acum suprimate”.
Ortleb, Omid Nouripour din partea Verzilor și un alt adjunct al lui Klöckner vor vorbi la CSD-ul din acest an de la Berlin, pe 26 iulie. Vor fi prezenți și angajați ai Bundestagului. Spre deosebire de anul trecut, însă, nu va exista niciun alegoric al Bundestagului la paradă. Și acest lucru a fost interzis de Klöckner.
Acest articol a fost scris inițial în germană
În timp ce sunteți aici: În fiecare marți, redactorii DW fac un rezumat al evenimentelor din politica și societatea germană. Vă puteți abona aici la newsletter-ul săptămânal prin e-mail, Berlin Briefing.
Sursa: DW
Între timp, Kim Jong Un al Coreei de Nord și-a oferit „sprijinul necondiționat”.
În altă parte, Ucraina a „eliminat” un bărbat și o femeie despre care se spune că ar fi responsabili pentru uciderea unui ofițer al serviciilor secrete SBU la Kiev.
Mai jos, veți găsi un rezumat al știrilor despre războiul Rusiei în Ucraina din 13 iulie 2025:
Sari peste secțiunea următoare Rusia și China discută despre războiul din Ucraina 13.07.2025 13 iulie 2025
Ministrul rus de externe, Seigei Lavrov (dreapta), s-a întâlnit cu omologul său chinez înaintea unei reuniuni a miniștrilor de externe ai Organizației de Cooperare de la Shanghai (SCO) Imagine: Ministerul rus de Externe/AP Press/dpa/picture alliance
Ministrul rus de Externe, Serghei Lavrov, s-a întâlnit duminică la Beijing cu omologul său chinez, Wang Yi, pentru a discuta despre războiul din Ucraina.
Înaltul diplomat rus a sosit în China, unde urmează să participe la o întâlnire a miniștrilor de externe ai Organizației de Cooperare de la Shanghai (SCO), în urma unei vizite în Coreea de Nord.
Lavrov și Wang „au discutat despre relațiile cu Statele Unite și perspectivele de rezolvare a crizei ucrainene”, potrivit unui comunicat al Ministerului rus de Externe.
China și Rusia au declarat un parteneriat strategic „fără limite” în februarie 2022, în timpul vizitei președintelui rus Vladimir Putin la Beijing, cu mai puțin de trei săptămâni înainte ca trupele sale să invadeze Ucraina.
Beijingul nu a denunțat niciodată războiul Rusiei în Ucraina și nici nu a cerut Moscovei să își retragă trupele.
Declarația Ministerului rus de Externe menționează că Lavrov și Wang au discutat și alte „subiecte fierbinți”, cum ar fi războiul din Gaza și situația din peninsula coreeană.
https://p.dw.com/p/4xP7QSăriți secțiunea următoare Ucraina susține că a ucis două persoane responsabile pentru uciderea unui ofițer al serviciilor secrete SBU13.07.202513 iulie 2025
Ucraina a „eliminat” un bărbat și o femeie despre care se spune că sunt responsabili pentru uciderea unui ofițer al serviciilor secrete SBU la Kiev.
„Aceștia s-au opus arestării, a urmat un schimb de focuri, iar criminalii au fost eliminați”, a spus Malyuk. La sfârșitul videoclipului, se văd două cadavre în spatele ofițerului.
Această evoluție survine după ce un ofițer SBU a fost împușcat mortal la Kiev, joi. Se spune că s-ar fi aflat în spatele unor acte de sabotaj din Rusia.
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https://p.dw.com/p/4xOQaSăriți peste secțiunea următoare Coreea de Nord oferă sprijin deplin Rusiei13.07.202513 iulie 2025
Liderul nord-coreean Kim Jong Un s-a întâlnit cu ministrul rus de externe, Serghei Lavrov, în orașul portuar Wonsan, oferind Moscovei „sprijin necondiționat”.
Întâlnirea a avut loc în contextul în care analiștii sugerează că Coreea de Nord va trimite mai multe trupe pentru a lupta alături de Rusia în cadrul ofensivei sale împotriva Ucrainei.
Citiți aici pentru mai multe detalii.
https://p.dw.com/p/4xO7CSariți secțiunea următoare Rusia cucerește un alt sat din regiunea Donețk13.07.202513 iulie 2025
Rusia a declarat duminică că a cucerit un alt sat din regiunea Donețk din Ucraina.
Ofensiva Moscovei asupra Ucrainei durează de mai bine de trei ani, atacurile intensificându-se în ultima vreme, în timp ce negocierile de pace conduse de SUA nu au dat încă niciun rezultat.
Ministerul rus al Apărării a declarat că trupele Moscovei au cucerit satul Myrne, numind satul după numele său sovietic „Karl Marx”.
Ministerul Apărării a susținut că forțele s-au deplasat „adânc în apărarea inamicului” în timp ce cucereau satul.
Până acum, Rusia a respins armistițiul propus de Statele Unite și Ucraina. Donald Trump s-a lăudat în mod regulat că este cel care poate aduce pacea în Ucraina.
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https://p.dw.com/p/4xOQYSăriți secțiunea următoare Bine ați venit la relatarea noastră 13.07.202513 iulie 2025
Bine ați venit la relatarea DW despre cele mai recente evoluții din războiul Rusiei din Ucraina.
Rusia spune că a a luat un alt sat din regiunea Donețk din Ucraina.
Între timp, liderul nord-coreean Kim Jong Un a salutat întâlnirea sa cu ministrul rus de externe, Serghei Lavrov, declarând că Phenianul oferă „sprijin necondiționat” Moscovei, în timp ce aceasta își continuă ofensiva împotriva Ucrainei.
Sursa: DW
Twenty-year-old Sayfollah Musallet, a US citizen from Florida, was beaten to death and Mohammed al-Shalabi, 23, was shot during Friday’s attack, their families said. Residents say the settlers blocked efforts to help the dying youths.
Razek Hassan al-Shalabi, Mohammad’s father, sat among the town’s inhabitants and relatives who came to mourn the young men at the school. “In the morning he told me he wanted to get married,” he told DW. “He talked about starting a family, and now we bury him.”
Across the street, at the Musallet home, women gathered to support the family in their grief. Saif, as Sayfollah was nicknamed, had arrived in June from his hometown, Tampa, to spend the summer with relatives in the town, which is roughly 20 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of Ramallah.
“He was like a little brother,” Diana Halum, a cousin who is acting as the family’s spokesperson, told DW. “We traveled together, back and forth from the States to Palestine. He came here to visit his cousins, his friends.”
“Not in a million years did we think something so tragic would happen,” Halum said. “And it’s just, it’s the way they killed him, too. I mean, he was lynched by aggressive, illegal Israeli settlers, and left there for hours.”
On Friday, the family released a statement saying medics had tried to reach Musallet for three hours before his brother managed to carry him to an ambulance. He died before they could make it to the hospital. “This is an unimaginable nightmare and injustice that no family should ever have to face,” the family said. “We demand the US State Department lead an immediate investigation and hold the Israeli settlers who killed Saif accountable for their crimes.”
The State Department says it is aware of reports of a death of a US citizen in the West Bank. Officials declined to comment further “out of respect for the privacy of the family” but said the department was ready “to provide consular services.”
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The youths had gathered with others following Friday’s noon prayers to show their presence in the fields where, just weeks ago, settlers attacked residents who had organized a march to protest settler violence and attempts to seize the land.
In an initial statement following Friday’s attack, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that “terrorists hurled rocks at Israeli civilians,” leading to a “violent confrontation” that included “the vandalism of Palestinian property, arson, physical clashes and rock hurling.” The IDF acknowledged reports that at least one Palestinian had been killed and a number injured and claimed that the incident would be “looked into.” The families say the youths’ bodies showed signs of torture.
In response to an inquiry from DW, the IDF referred to its earlier statement and added that “following the incident, a joint investigation was launched by the Israel Police and the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division.”
It was just the latest violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, in southern Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza, such attacks have become “a daily reality,” according to the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs. Between January 2024 and May 2025, OCHA has documented over 2,070 settler attacks, resulting in casualties and property damage in the West Bank.
Settlers regularly raid villages or install illegal outposts to harass and threaten Palestinians, often in the presence of Israeli soldiers or police who do not interfere. Israeli rights groups and Palestinians report that settlers have been recruited as reservists.
Al-Mazra’a al-Sharqiya is a small town near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. The area has seen several attacks by Israeli settlersImage: Tania Krämer/DW
For several hours following the attack, Razek Hassan al-Shalabi said, he had believed that his son Mohammed was in IDF custody. When he discovered that evening that the information was incorrect, local residents searched for Mohammed. According to the family and the Palestinian Health Ministry, they found him severely beaten and shot in the back.
Friends of the two young men gathered at the school on Saturday, looking shocked. Iyad, who declined to give his surname, said that his cousin Saif and Mohammed were in the same friendship group and used to hang out together. “They were always the ones that would cheer everyone up, they never brought you down, if you needed them, they were always there,” Iyad told DW.
A young Palestinian American himself, Iyad said people in the occupied West Bank also believed that Israeli settlers carried out their attacks with a sense of impunity. He said the United States rarely intervened on the behalf of people who were the victims of such attacks or their families.
“Sadly this only got attention because Saif has American citizenship. This isn’t the first time this happened, multiple US citizens have been killed either by Israeli citizens or Israeli soldiers and I think that there should definitely be a change in it and they [the US administration] should do something about it because honestly… I am lost for words.”
Iyad, who is from California, was also visiting for the summer. “It is sad people have to be cautious in their own land, it is sad that every time Palestinians leave their home they are at risk,” he said.
Razek al-Shalabi lost his son Mohammed during a settler attack on 11 JulyImage: Tania Krämer/DW
Three other young Palestinian Americans have been killed in the occupied West Bank since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023. Their cases, which involved Israeli soldiers and settlers, remain unresolved. “It makes you feel hopeless, it makes you sad. Here in the village, we deal with this on a daily basis,” Hafeth Abdel Jabbar told DW about the latest killings. His 17-year-old son, Tawfiq, a US citizen from Louisiana, was shot and killed in 2024 near the town and until now, no one was charged for the crime.
“The crazy thing is that our government is supporting such a regime with racists and extremists that are supporting these settlers, and it’s okay to do that to us, they treat us like we’re not human beings. That’s what flips your mind,” Abdel Jabbar said.
While the previous US administration issued sanctions against some radical settlers, these were rescinded by President Donald Trump shortly after taking office.
Razek Hassan al-Shalabi said he was not confident that his many questions surrounding Mohammed’s death would ever be answered by the Israeli authorities. He was trying to keep himself together for the young men’s joint funeral on Sunday. “We weren’t just father and son,” he said. “We were friends.” Overwhelmed by grief, he was unable to finish his thought.
Edited by Milan Gagnon, Ben Knight
Tania Krämer DW correspondent, author and reporter, based in Jerusalem.Send us your feedback
Sursa: DW
