In brief
In the West Bank village of Qusra, a week‑long siege by Israeli settlers cut off power and water for local families. IDF troops entered the village on Thursday, ordering roughly a dozen Palestinian households to vacate their homes and relocating them to the site of former Palestinian residences. The operation, announced as a measure to "protect residents," was condemned by Israeli officials and the mayor of Qusra, who highlighted settler violence and the use of chargeable equipment. Witnesses describe soldiers entering houses in large numbers, confiscating belongings and leaving homes in disarray. The incident underscores the rising tensions between settlers and Palestinians amid allegations of impunity for settler attacks and uneven accountability by Israeli forces.
Around a dozen Palestinian households in the West Bank village of Qusra were ordered to leave their homes during a military operation aimed at removing Israeli settlers who had besieged three local residences since Sunday. The settlers cut off the properties’ power and water supplies, effectively locking families out.
Qusra’s mayor, Abdel Azim Wadi, confirmed that the village had been declared a closed military zone and that Israeli forces had used some vacated Palestinian houses as barracks. The IDF later stated that the operation was conducted to "protect the residents," a claim that has been criticized as a justification for settler aggression.
An Israeli spokesman called the settlers’ actions “deplorable” and pledged investigations and arrests of those responsible. The IDF said it had detained one Israeli soldier and confiscated equipment near Qusra and Jalud, but it did not address allegations of theft and destruction placed in the hands of soldiers.
Witness reports describe more than 20 soldiers entering a household in the morning of Thursday, breaking down doors and shouting commands. Families were forced to move to a third house, and after about 10 hours some were allowed back only to find their rooms upturned, valuable items stolen, and food discarded from refrigerators.
The situation highlights the growing tension between Israeli settlers and the Palestinian population. Settlements, deemed illegal under international law, have expanded rapidly under the current Israeli government, amplifying settler violence and displacement. The incident in Qusra adds to recent reports of a clear pattern of targeting the village, including arson attacks on local mosques and graffiti in Hebrew sprayed nearby.
