While the military later rescinded the order following international scrutiny, the situation remains volatile as families struggle to remain in their homes.
Escalation in Qusra: Families Under Siege
The ordeal in the village of Qusra, located south of Nablus, began on Sunday when Israeli settlers established a blockade at the entrance to three homes. Residents report that the settlers cut off essential utilities, including water and electricity, and prevented medical access for a sick toddler. According to reports from Aljazeera, the siege is part of a broader campaign aimed at displacing families from their property.
Speaking from the United States, Ridi noted that the families are relying on limited reserves of well water and a temporary solar power system. He does not want to leave the home.
Because if he leaves the home, the settlers will take over immediately,
Ridi said.
Military Intervention and Conflicting Orders
The Israeli military’s response to the siege has drawn sharp criticism from local officials and international observers. Maj Gen Avi Bluth, the commander of Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank, visited Qusra on Wednesday and promised to evacuate the settler group. However, residents and observers noted that while soldiers dismantled a tent used by the settlers, the militants remained on the site.
On Thursday, the situation intensified when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ordered the evacuation of 15 homes in the village, citing the need for a military operation. The army arrived at around 10am and asked us to evacuate the houses because of a military operation in the area that would last for three days. We refused to leave,
Qusai Ridi told The Guardian. Following the order, soldiers moved the residents into a single house.
By Thursday afternoon, the military mandate was partially rescinded. While the IDF stated that soldiers had been instructed to allow residents to remain in their homes, reports from Newscord indicated that some families remained barred from accessing their property, and others reported finding their homes damaged upon return, including destroyed security equipment and torn religious texts.
International Condemnation and Political Fallout
The siege has prompted a rare rebuke from U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who characterized the actions of the settlers as a horrific act of terror.
The incident has also sparked internal dissent within Israel. Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert described the events as a concerted and meticulous attempt at ethnic cleansing,
while commentator Avi Ashkenazi wrote in Ma’ariv that the military’s handling of the situation illustrated the impotence of the IDF, the police, the GSS and other security organizations in the face of a group of bullies.
According to the Aljazeera, the situation in the West Bank has reached a critical point. Data indicates that 76 Palestinians, including 18 children, have been killed in the territory so far this year, with thousands displaced by settler violence and home demolitions. The Israeli government recently approved plans to support settlement activities, a move that critics argue further emboldens settler groups operating in the region.
Uncertainty for Qusra Residents
As of Thursday, the village remains under heavy military presence, with reports of soldiers using some vacated Palestinian homes as barracks. While the military claimed to have dismantled two illegal outposts near Qusra and Jalud, residents remain skeptical of the security forces’ commitment to their safety. I am afraid and do not trust that the army will actually evacuate the settlers. But I sincerely hope they do,
Qusai Ridi stated. With the area largely sealed off, the long-term status of the displaced families and the continued presence of the settler group remain unresolved.
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