Activists try to deliver aid to Palestinians in homes besieged by Israeli settlers

What the report says

Activists tried to bring food and water to Palestinian families trapped in their homes in Qusra, in the occupied West Bank, after Israeli settlers blocked access for several days, BBC World News reported. The families said their power and water had been cut off since Sunday, and the aid was left outside because they said Israeli forces would not allow it to be handed over directly. The Israel Defense Forces denied that claim and said the area was a closed military zone.

The report said settlers returned on Friday and set up a tent near the site after an earlier attempt by Israeli forces to disperse them. The tent was later removed by the military. BBC World News also reported that about a dozen Palestinian households were told to leave properties during the operation, while Qusra’s mayor said some vacated homes were being used as barracks. The military said its aim was to protect residents and that people in Qusra would remain in their homes.

The standoff began on Sunday, when settlers blocked the road to the homes and cut services. BBC World News said earlier attempts by security forces to clear the area led to clashes. The broader significance is that the episode highlights continuing settler violence and the difficulties Israeli forces face in containing it in the West Bank, where settlements are illegal under international law and displacement has increased, according to UN figures cited in the report.