Israeli settlers have been besieging two Palestinian families in their homes in the occupied West Bank since Sunday. The families report that their supplies are running out, and human rights organizations are calling on the authorities to intervene.
On Wednesday, Israeli security forces reportedly withdrew from a Jewish outpost in the village of Kusra near Nablus after clashes with a crowd of extremist settlers. About a dozen settlers are said to remain at the site.
These events are taking place against the backdrop of a statement by a high-ranking UN representative who said at a Security Council meeting in New York on Tuesday that “the West Bank is on the brink of collapse.” All settlements are illegal under international law, and outposts are established without official Israeli permission.
The Abu Ridi and Hassan families have been posting appeals for help on social media after their water and electricity were cut off and their food supplies began to run out. The exact goal of the settlers in Kusra is unclear, but previously settlers have evicted Palestinians from their homes and seized their property. The stated goal of the settlers is to displace Palestinian residents from this territory.
Palestinian surveillance cameras recorded settlers destroying a wall near the Abu Ridi family’s home and using stones to block the road on Sunday evening. As a result, seven people, including two young girls, could not leave their homes, and other Palestinians could not reach them. They live in so-called Area B — a part of the West Bank under Palestinian administrative and Israeli security control.
In a Facebook post, Kusai Abu Ridi stated that the situation is critical, “especially because we are completely isolated.” He wrote: “We live in our own home, on our own land, and ask for nothing but the right to live safely and with dignity.” Aisha Hassan told Reuters that the settlers “tried to break down the gate” to the house and “began throwing stones at us, swearing and insulting us.” She added that her family “is dying of fear, extremely frightened.”
After the Palestinian homeowners first reported the situation to the Israeli army, the first soldiers who arrived at the scene were filmed praying with the settlers. On Monday, Israeli settlers blocked journalists from the left-wing newspaper Haaretz from reaching the Palestinian homes. The reporters said that Israeli soldiers at the scene refused to help them when their car was blocked for two hours. They were told that the area was a closed military zone, but this order did not apply to the settlers.
The next day, the Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din urgently appealed to the head of the Israeli army’s Central Command, demanding the protection of the besieged residents, the evacuation of the settlers from the outpost, and holding them accountable.
Actions of Israeli military and condemnation of the outpost
Late on Tuesday, a Palestinian ambulance was finally allowed to reach the families. It delivered food to them and took one child for medical treatment. Around the same time, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published a statement condemning the establishment of the new outpost. It stated that the intrusion into Palestinian homes and their seizure is “illegal, condemnable, and unacceptable activity.”
When the head of the Central Command, Major General Avi Bluet, and other senior officers arrived at the scene early on Wednesday, they reportedly met with the residents and expressed their “serious concern.” Following this, Palestinian surveillance cameras captured clashes between Israeli military, border police, and a large crowd of settlers. Security forces used tear gas and stun grenades. Other footage shows Israeli forces apparently confiscating a canopy under which the settlers were sheltering, leaving their other equipment behind.
“Border police forces evacuated the tent and are working to evacuate the civilians who were there. The incident is still ongoing,” the IDF stated. They also reported that it was decided “to take disciplinary measures against security personnel who were filmed at the scene a few days ago.”
Unprecedented level of settler violence
The mayor of the Palestinian village, Abdel Aziz Wadi, told the BBC that local residents have observed “a clear and systematic campaign against Kusra.” Last month, a newly built mosque was set on fire, and Hebrew graffiti appeared nearby. This settler attack was one of many that occurred after an incident in the Palestinian village of Tal.
After the attack by Israeli settlers on Tal, the situation escalated, resulting in the deaths of six people — four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers. One of them was serving as a security coordinator for a nearby Israeli settlement. In July, settlers also surrounded a Palestinian house in the village of Jalud near Kusra for more than two weeks. After that, the owners left the house, and the settlers seized it and remain there to this day.
“Settler violence has reached an unprecedented level,” said Deputy UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ramiz Alakbarov at a Security Council meeting on Tuesday. He cited data on what he called “staggering human losses” and noted that the Nablus area, in particular, has recently suffered greatly from violence.
According to the UN, this year in the West Bank, Israeli forces or settlers have killed 76 Palestinians, including 18 children. Meanwhile, three Israelis, including one civilian, were killed during clashes with Palestinians and as a result of a likely Palestinian car-ramming in the West Bank. Since January 2023, 127 Palestinian communities in the West Bank have experienced complete or partial displacement, including 47 that were completely abandoned by residents. This has affected over 6,390 Palestinians, the UN reports. The organization also recorded that in 2026, about 3,800 Palestinians, almost half of them children, were displaced due to settler violence, house demolitions, and evictions.
Speaking at the UN meeting, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon rejected the claim that settlements are an obstacle to peace. He stated that they will remain and continue to expand, as his country has biblical, historical, and legal rights to this land. According to him, the Security Council “must understand a simple truth: we are not going anywhere.”
Source: BBC
