Israeli forces have moved into Palestinian homes in the village of Kusra in the West Bank on Thursday, the mayor reported. This comes after settlers besieged Palestinian families earlier this week. Palestinians view these actions as an attempt to force them to leave their lands.
The siege began over the weekend when Jewish settlers blocked the road to three houses in the Palestinian village of Kusra and set up a tent in their yards, preventing anyone from entering or leaving. Earlier, the settlers had cut off electricity and water supplies to these homes.
Kusra’s mayor, Abed Al Azem Wadi, stated that six houses in the village were evacuated and occupied by Israeli military, including the three houses on the hill that were under siege. The two families living there gathered in one of the houses. Reuters photographs showed several Israeli soldiers standing near one of the houses. Villagers reported that the military informed the families that the operation in Kusra could last until Sunday.
In their statement, the military reported that soldiers were deployed in Kusra from Thursday morning to protect residents and maintain security. According to them, the military “received instructions that the residents of Kusra must stay in their homes.” The military also added that “soldiers will not operate inside the house of the Palestinian family located near the site where the tent was set up, which has been evacuated and dismantled.” Meanwhile, it was not immediately clear which of the three houses the military’s statement referred to.
Siege and international reaction
Earlier on Thursday, a day after the military used tear gas in a failed attempt to drive out the settlers, they stated that additional forces had been sent to the area “to carry out defensive tasks and patrol the area to maintain security and protect the territory.”
The United Nations stated that about 15 Palestinians, including two children, “were locked in their homes, gripped by fear, unable to meet their basic needs, and without access to water or electricity.” A video taken earlier this week showed several Israeli men in green military uniforms joining the settlers during a morning prayer in the tent. The military stated that disciplinary measures were being taken against the personnel involved.
The military is facing increasing pressure to stop the illegal land seizures by settlers, who, according to Palestinians, are encouraged by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which has led to the rapid expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The two families under siege in this area report having no food or medicine, and the settlers are damaging their property, throwing stones at their homes, and shouting offensive words. “We appeal to government institutions and to all concerned and decent people to help us secure food and medicine,” said Kusay Abu Rida, a Palestinian locked in one of the houses belonging to his brother, who lives in Ohio and holds U.S. citizenship. He confirmed that the two families had gathered in one of the three houses.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee stated that Israeli military and police “at our request went to remove Israeli terrorists who are doing this,” adding: “The actions of those who behave this way towards this family’s home are criminal.”
Palestinians claim that Israeli military allows settlers to seize land and resources across the West Bank with impunity, including in areas where they have Israeli-issued ownership documents. Cases of land seizures by settlers are particularly common on the outskirts of villages like Kusra, located in an area under full Israeli security control.
The West Bank, a territory captured by Israel during the 1967 Middle East war, is home to about three million Palestinians and 500,000 settlers. According to the Israeli settlement monitoring group Peace Now, there are about 146 settlements and 390 small outposts in the West Bank.
Source: The Straits Times
