Palestinian families say they have been forced from their homes as settlers remain in Qusra despite an Israeli army pledge
Two Palestinian families were forced from their homes in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra on Thursday as a days-long confrontation involving Israeli settlers and troops deepened, despite a senior military commander’s promise to remove the settlers.
The crisis began on Sunday when Israeli settlers and soldiers set up a tent blocking access to three homes on the edge of the village. Water and electricity supplies were cut, while an ambulance was prevented from reaching a sick toddler.
Major General Avi Bluth, commander of the Israeli military’s Central Command, visited Qusra on Wednesday amid growing international pressure. He met Palestinians trapped in the area and pledged that the settlers would be evacuated.
Troops later removed the tent, but the settlers remained with bedding and other equipment. Soldiers then attempted to disperse the group using riot control measures, but the effort failed, and troops withdrew. By Thursday, the siege had entered a fifth day.
The military operation also spread further into Qusra. Israeli soldiers entered eight Palestinian homes early on Thursday, telling village mayor Abdul Azim Wadi that the buildings were needed for an operation expected to last several days. Six homes were later released.
Qusai Ridi, one of the Palestinians caught up in the siege, said soldiers arrived at about 10 am and instructed residents to leave because of a three-day military operation. When residents refused, he said the families were moved into a single house.
Ridi was later allowed home. He said he discovered damage to his security camera system and found some equipment missing. His neighbour, Yousef Hassan, remained displaced while soldiers continued occupying his home, leaving Hassan staying with Ridi.
Fear in Qusra has been heightened by earlier violence. Settlers were still patrolling near the area where 28-year-old Amir Moatasem Odeh was killed by a settler in March. His father was stabbed during the same attack. According to the report, nobody has been arrested over either incident.
Ridi said he remained afraid that the army would ultimately fail to remove the settlers, although he still hoped they would be forced out.
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned the siege, describing it as an act of terror and referring to those responsible as Israeli terrorists. One of Ridi’s brothers is an American citizen.
Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert delivered an even stronger condemnation. He said he regarded what was happening as a deliberate attempt at ethnic cleansing and accused the Israeli government of supporting crimes against humanity while criticising the response of the military and police.
Palestinian families returning to six homes after soldiers left on Thursday reported damage. They said torn pages from a Qur’an and destroyed decorations were among what they found.
The Israeli military said troops had been instructed not to displace Qusra residents and would not operate inside the besieged homes. A military spokesperson did not explain why residents said those instructions had been breached.
IDF chief of staff Eyal Zamir ordered an infantry reserve battalion back from leave to reinforce forces in the West Bank. Israeli critics, however, argued that the problems in Qusra reflected an unwillingness to confront violent settlers rather than a shortage of troops.
The report also linked the events to neighbouring Jalud, where another Palestinian family was forced from its home in July following similar tactics. Soldiers and settlers were filmed playing football together on the terrace of that home on Thursday.
The crisis unfolds against wider concerns over Palestinian displacement in the occupied West Bank. Rights group B’Tselem says dozens of Palestinian communities have been forcibly displaced, while other communities have lost residents amid continuing settler and military violence.