TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Loved ones of a Tampa man are calling for an investigation into his death after the family said Sayfollah Musallet was killed while visiting the Middle East.

According to family, the 20-year-old was spending time with loved ones in the Israeli-occupied West Bank when he was beaten to death.

“He and two others from his family had set up tents and were staying the night there to protect their land, and they were ambushed by a mob of illegal settlers,” Hiba Rahim with the Council on American-Islamic Relations said.

Rahim said the attack is part of a larger pattern where Palestinians stand guard to keep illegal settlers from taking over. The Israeli Security Agency and Israel Police said they’re looking into Musallet’s death and the death of his friend.

The 20-year-old’s father, Kamil Musallet, wants the United States to step in and investigate.

“They are in illegal land, it’s not theirs. We demand the U.S. government do something about it,” Musallet said.

In Tampa, Musallet’s family owned an ice cream shop off Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, where he was well known and liked by the community.

“We want to emphasize the Tampa community is devastated by this loss. He’s a member of our community. But he’s not only a member of the Muslim community, he’s an American. He’s a Floridian. He has a business here in Tampa,” Rahim said.

Musallet’s family and leaders with CAIR-Florida speak with the media on Monday at noon. A vigil for the 20-year-old is planned for Saturday.