WASHINGTON

The US State Department confirmed on Tuesday that another American was killed in the occupied West Bank, and urged an Israeli investigation.

"It's a violent situation. There have been a few Americans who've passed in this kind of a dynamic," spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters when asked if the agency has urged Israel to investigate the death.

Khamis Ayyad, a Palestinian American, died Thursday of smoke inhalation in Silwad, a village in the central West Bank, after Israeli settlers set fires to cars and homes.

"Our first priority, and it's not a motto or slogan, is the safety and security of Americans everywhere," said Bruce.

While details surrounding Ayyad’s death are still emerging, Bruce said the US has urged Israel to investigate.

"We have called upon Israel to investigate, of course, each of these instances," she added.

Palestinian American Sayfollah Musallet was beaten to death last month. His family said illegal Israeli settlers surrounded him and prevented an ambulance and paramedics from reaching him for three hours to deliver life-saving care. He died before reaching a hospital.

Musallet is the seventh American killed in the West Bank since January 2022.

The Israeli army and illegal settlers have escalated attacks in the occupied West Bank against Palestinians, their holy sites and property, including in East Jerusalem, killing at least 1,013 Palestinians and injuring more than 7,000.