Israel Sends More Troops to West Bank Village Besieged by Settlers

The Israeli military has announced it will deploy additional troops to the occupied West Bank village of Qusra after failing to dislodge Israeli settlers who have trapped two Palestinian families in their homes since Sunday.

Families Trapped Without Supplies

The Abu Ridi and Hassan families, who live on the outskirts of Qusra south of Nablus, appealed for help after settlers cut off their water and power supplies and their food stocks dwindled. Qusay Abu Ridi, speaking to the BBC from inside his besieged home, said his house had been attacked again overnight and that some settlers remained nearby, hiding from the army.

Military Response

Videos shared from Qusra showed dozens of Israeli security vehicles, including a bulldozer, positioned on the road leading into the village, which remained a closed military zone. Local media reported that a nearby Israeli settler outpost was demolished as part of the response. A long line of Israeli security forces was visible in daylight footage of the area.

Pattern of Settler Violence

The incident has renewed attention to the relative impunity of settlers in the West Bank and the difficulties Israeli forces face in containing rising settler violence. Human rights groups have documented a sharp increase in settler attacks against Palestinian communities in recent years.

Update

The Israeli army has told Palestinian families in Qusra to leave their homes, with the village mayor reporting that soldiers have been using houses as barracks. The development marks a significant escalation of the situation, which began when settlers besieged homes in the West Bank village.