RAMALLAH, West Bank — Calls are growing in Washington for the release of a 20-year-old American citizen after Israeli forces detained her during a series of overnight raids in the occupied West Bank, prompting concerns about due process and the treatment of U.S. citizens abroad.
Sama Safi, a Palestinian-American student at Birzeit University, was among four female university students detained by Israeli forces during raids on their homes near Ramallah on June 2, according to multiple reports from Palestinian media outlets and human rights organizations.
The arrests quickly drew international attention after U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen publicly demanded answers from the Israeli government and called for immediate action by the Trump administration.
In a statement posted Wednesday, Van Hollen said Israeli authorities had not informed Safi's family or the U.S. Embassy where she was being held or why she was detained. He further stated that she was being held without charges and called on the United States government to secure her release.
According to reports from Palestinian news agencies, Israeli forces conducted coordinated raids throughout the Ramallah area, detaining Safi along with fellow Birzeit University students Natalie Abu Diya, Jolan Abu Awwad, and Leila Khalil. Witnesses reported that soldiers entered homes during pre-dawn hours before taking the students into custody.
As of Thursday, Israeli authorities had not publicly announced formal charges against the students, and no official explanation for the arrests had been widely released. Human rights advocates say the case raises concerns about administrative detention practices frequently used in the occupied territories, where detainees can be held for extended periods without formal charges or trial.
The detention has also renewed scrutiny over the treatment of American citizens in the West Bank. In recent years, several cases involving Palestinian-Americans detained, injured, or killed in the territory have sparked criticism from members of Congress and civil rights organizations.
Among the most prominent cases was that of Mohammed Ibrahim, a Palestinian-American teenager from Florida who was detained by Israeli authorities for approximately nine months in 2025 before being released. His case prompted intervention from members of Congress and advocacy groups who argued the United States had not done enough to protect one of its citizens.
The State Department has not publicly detailed any diplomatic efforts regarding Safi's detention. U.S. policy generally requires consular officials to seek access to detained American citizens abroad and monitor their welfare while in custody.
The case comes amid continuing tensions throughout the West Bank, where Israeli military operations, settler violence, and mass arrests have increased significantly since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. Human rights groups report that thousands of Palestinians have been detained during that period, including students, activists, and minors.
For Safi's family, however, the issue is far more immediate: an American citizen has reportedly disappeared into the Israeli detention system, and they say they still do not know when—or if—she will return home.
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