Israeli settlers besieging Palestinian families in West Bank village

What the report says

Israeli settlers and security forces remain at the center of a standoff in Qusra, a village near Nablus in the occupied West Bank, where two Palestinian families say they have been trapped in their homes since Sunday. According to the BBC, Israeli security forces withdrew from a settler outpost on Wednesday after clashes with a crowd of settlers, though about a dozen settlers were still reported to be at the scene.

The families, from the Abu Ridi and Hassan households, said their water and electricity had been cut and their food was running low. Palestinian video showed settlers tearing down part of a wall near one home and using the stones to block a road, leaving seven people, including two young girls, unable to leave. The BBC also reported that soldiers arriving earlier had been filmed praying with settlers, while later footage showed confrontations involving tear gas and stun grenades.

Israel’s military said the new outpost was illegal and condemned the seizure of Palestinian homes as unacceptable. It also said disciplinary action would be taken against security personnel seen at the site days earlier. Human rights group Yesh Din urged the army to protect the residents and remove the outpost, while the village mayor said residents saw a broader pattern of attacks on Qusra.

The incident comes amid rising concern over West Bank violence. A UN official told the Security Council this week that the territory was “at breaking point,” and the BBC noted that the episode follows recent attacks and displacement in the area. The broader background, as the BBC explained, is that settlements are considered illegal under international law.