Israel Deploys Extra Troops After Settler Siege of Qusra Families
The Israeli army announced it would station additional troops in the occupied West Bank after settlers blocked the village of Qusra, trapping two Palestinian families in their homes since Sunday.
The Abu Ridi and Hassan families, residing on the outskirts of Qusra south of Nablus, urged the IDF for help after water and power supplies were cut and food stocks dwindled. Videos posted from Qusra show dozens of Israeli security vehicles—including a bulldozer—lining the road, while a line of soldiers entered the closed military zone.
The first IDF patrol to the scene reportedly joined hands with settlers for a brief prayer, a gesture that the Israeli military said would be disciplined. An attempt by soldiers on Wednesday to dislodge the settlers failed, prompting tear gas, stun grenades and further confrontation.
The incident follows a pattern of settler aggression in the region. Earlier in July, settlers surrounded a Palestinian home in Jalud, near Qusra, for over two weeks before taking ownership of the property. In February, a newly completed mosque in Qusra was set afire with Hebrew graffiti nearby, illustrating a sustained pattern of targeting the village.
The UN reports 76 Palestinians killed in the West Bank this year, including 18 children, while Israeli casualties total three. Since January 2023, 127 Palestinian communities have experienced partial or full displacement, affecting more than 6,390 people, with about 3,800 displaced in 2026 due to settler violence.
The U.S. ambassador to Israel bluntly described the settlers as “Israeli terrorists,” while Israel’s UN ambassador dismissed settlements as a “non‑obstacle” to peace, emphasizing biblical, historic and legal claims to the land.
The situation in Qusra underscores the growing impunity of settlers and the challenge for Israeli security forces to intervene effectively amid escalating violence and humanitarian concerns.
