US Envoy Calls West Bank Settler Siege an "Act Of Terror"

Israeli forces moved against Israeli settlers accused of laying siege to Palestinian homes in the West Bank village of Qusra on Thursday, following unusually strong criticism from the United States. Settlers had reportedly been blockading Palestinian homes since Sunday, including one owned by a US citizen, with residents saying they had been cut off from food and other essential supplies. The Israeli military said it deployed forces to the area overnight, dismantled two settler outposts and detained one Israeli. Troops remained in Qusra, saying their presence was intended to protect residents and maintain security.

The intervention followed several days of tension in the village near Nablus, where Palestinian families said they were effectively trapped inside their homes. Aisha Hassan, one of the residents caught in the siege, said people had been unable to receive food and other supplies because the area had been completely sealed off. Witnesses said settlers remained positioned on rocks on a nearby hill even after Israeli troops removed a tent and blankets used by them. Qusra Mayor Abdul Azim Wadi said Israeli forces had withdrawn from eight homes they had seized earlier on Thursday and that residents who had been evacuated were able to return.

Wadi said the situation remained tense even after the military operation, with Israeli troops continuing to stay in the town and settlers still present in parts of the area. According to the mayor, Israeli forces told residents they would remain until Sunday. The UN Human Rights Office in the occupied Palestinian territory called on Israeli authorities to take immediate action against the settlers. It said the attacks and intimidation faced by Palestinian families were making their lives increasingly difficult and appeared aimed at forcing them to leave their homes and land.

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US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee strongly condemned the actions of the settlers, describing the incident as an "act of terror" intended to intimidate and harass a Palestinian family. Huckabee, who has historically been a strong supporter of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, said Israel had intervened following a request from the United States. His remarks marked an unusually strong criticism of settler actions from a senior US official. European Union foreign policy spokesperson Anitta Hipper also urged Israel to take concrete measures to prevent violence by settlers against Palestinians.

The incident has drawn additional attention after video footage published over the weekend appeared to show Israeli forces praying alongside settlers. The Israeli military subsequently said it would take action over the conduct shown in the footage. The confrontation in Qusra also coincided with the reopening of another Israeli settlement at Ganim in the northern West Bank. Defence Minister Israel Katz attended the ceremony and said, "Here, this is the Land of Israel. Here, we are staying forever." The settlement had been dismantled more than 20 years ago as part of Israel's 2005 disengagement plan, which involved the removal of Israeli settlements from Gaza and several locations in the northern West Bank.

The developments come amid heightened political tensions in Israel ahead of the October 27 elections, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government seeking support from its hard-right political base. Opposition figure Gadi Eisenkot described the situation in Qusra as evidence of government failure to control violent actions by a radical minority. Settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has increased significantly since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and the ensuing war.

More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements across the West Bank alongside around three million Palestinians. Most of the international community considers the settlements illegal under international law, while Israel rejects that position. The Qusra confrontation has consequently highlighted the continuing tensions over Israeli settlement expansion, Palestinian security and the role of Israeli authorities in preventing settler violence.

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