Israeli settlers besiege Palestinian families in Qusra village

Extremist Israeli settlers have held two Palestinian families hostage inside their homes in Qusra, a village near Nablus in the occupied West Bank, according to reporting spanning several days. The siege began when settlers dismantled a protective wall around a courtyard, piled the stones in the road, and cut off water, electricity, and food supplies. Families posted pleas on social media as the situation worsened, stating they were completely isolated.

How the siege unfolded

• Sunday – Palestinian security-camera footage showed settlers tearing down a wall outside the Abu Ridi family home and using the stones to block the road, leaving seven people, including two young girls, unable to leave.
• Monday morning – After the families reported the intrusion, the first soldiers who arrived at the scene were filmed praying with the settlers.
• Monday – Settlers blocked journalists from the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper from trying to reach the Palestinian properties, while Israeli soldiers at the scene refused to help when the reporters' car was blocked for two hours, citing a closed military zone order that was not enforced on the settlers.
• Tuesday – The Israeli human rights group Yesh Din urgently appealed to the head of the Israeli military's Central Command for the army to protect the residents, evacuate the outpost, and hold the settlers accountable.
• Late Tuesday – A Palestinian ambulance was finally allowed to reach the families, delivering food and taking one child away for medical treatment.
• Early Wednesday – Maj Gen Avi Bluth, head of the Central Command, and other senior officers arrived, met residents, and voiced grave concern. Israeli security forces subsequently clashed with a crowd of settlers, using tear gas and stun grenades to evacuate a tent and dismantle parts of the outpost, though about a dozen settlers reportedly remained at the site.

Residents describe the intimidation

"We are living in our own home, on our own land, and we are asking for nothing more than the right to live safely and with dignity."

Qusay Abu Ridi, resident, via BBC

Aysha Hassan told Reuters that settlers tried to break the gate to the house and started throwing stones, cursing, and insulting them, leaving the family dying of fear and extremely terrified, according to Bbc coverage.

Village mayor Abdel Azim Wadi told the BBC that local residents had witnessed a clear and sustained pattern of targeting Qusra. He noted that last month a newly completed mosque was set on fire with Hebrew graffiti sprayed nearby.

Official reactions

The Israel Defense Forces issued a statement condemning the establishment of the new outpost, describing the seizure of Palestinian homes as illegal, reprehensible, and unacceptable activity. The military added that disciplinary action would be taken against the security personnel involved who were documented at the site several days earlier.

At the United Nations Security Council in New York, UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ramiz Alakbarov briefed delegates on Tuesday, warning that the West Bank is at breaking point. He presented figures showing that 76 Palestinians, including 18 children, have been killed in the West Bank this year by Israeli forces or settlers, while three Israelis, including one civilian, have died in confrontations and an alleged ramming attack.

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, rejected the notion that settlements are an obstacle to peace. He told the council that the settlements would remain and continue to grow, asserting biblical, historic, and legal rights to the land, and stating that the Security Council must understand that Israel is not going anywhere, as reported by the BBC and The Jerusalem Post.

Legal and territorial background

All settlements in the occupied West Bank are deemed illegal under international law, and outposts are established without official Israeli authorization. Qusra is located in Area B, which is under Palestinian administrative control and Israeli security control.

According to United Nations figures, 127 Palestinian communities in the West Bank have experienced full or partial displacement since January 2023, including 47 that have been entirely displaced, affecting more than 6,390 Palestinians. The UN also registered that in 2026, about 3,800 Palestinians, nearly half of them children, have been displaced due to settler violence, demolitions, and evictions.

Recent precedents of settler aggression

The attack on Qusra follows an escalation triggered after Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Tal, leading to clashes in which four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers were killed. In July, settlers also surrounded a Palestinian home in the nearby village of Jalud for more than two weeks, after which the owners fled and settlers took over the property, where they remain.

What to watch next

The IDF stated that its operations regarding the settler outpost and the evacuation of civilians staying there were ongoing, and that disciplinary measures would be pursued against the security personnel documented at the site.