Two Palestinian families have been besieged in their homes in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra since Sunday, with reports indicating dwindling supplies and a withdrawal of Israeli security forces from a settler outpost in the area. Approximately a dozen settlers remain at the site following clashes with a larger group of settlers on Wednesday.
The Abu Ridi and Hassan families have appealed for assistance on social media, stating that their water and power supplies have been cut off and their food stocks are running low. Palestinian security camera footage from Sunday evening reportedly shows settlers dismantling a wall outside the Abu Ridi family home and using the stones to block a road. This action has confined seven individuals, including two young girls, to their homes, while preventing other Palestinians from reaching them.
The families reside in Area B of the West Bank, which is under Palestinian administrative control and Israeli security control. Qusay Abu Ridi posted on Facebook that the situation was critical due to their complete isolation, stating, "We are living in our own home, on our own land, and we are asking for nothing more than the right to live safely and with dignity."
On Monday, Israeli settlers reportedly obstructed journalists from the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper who were attempting to reach the besieged properties. The reporters stated that Israeli soldiers at the scene declined to assist them when their vehicle was blocked for two hours, citing the area as a closed military zone, though the order was not enforced against the settlers.
The Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din issued an urgent appeal to the head of the Israeli military's Central Command on Tuesday, requesting protection for the besieged residents, the evacuation of the settler outpost, and accountability for the settlers involved.
Late Tuesday, a Palestinian ambulance was permitted to reach the families, delivering food and transporting one child for medical treatment. Around the same time, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a statement condemning the establishment of the new outpost and describing the seizure of Palestinian homes as "illegal, reprehensible, and unacceptable activity."
Senior IDF officers, including the head of its Central Command, Maj Gen Avi Bluth, visited the scene early Wednesday and expressed "grave concern" to residents. Following their arrival, Palestinian security camera footage shared with the BBC showed confrontations between Israeli soldiers and border police and a large group of settlers. Security forces reportedly used tear gas and stun grenades. In separate footage, Israeli forces appeared to confiscate the canopy used by the settlers while leaving other equipment.
The IDF stated that border police forces evacuated the tent and were working to remove the civilians present, adding that "disciplinary action would be taken against the security personnel involved, who were documented at the site several days ago."
The village mayor of Qusra, Abdel Azim Wadi, told the BBC that local residents have observed a "clear and sustained pattern of targeting Qusra." He noted that a mosque was set on fire last month, with graffiti in Hebrew found nearby. This incident followed settler attacks in the village of Tal, which resulted in the deaths of six people, including four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers.
In July, settlers also surrounded a Palestinian home in the village of Jalud for over two weeks, after which the owners reportedly fled and settlers occupied the property.
Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN's Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, informed the Security Council on Tuesday that "settler violence has reached unprecedented levels." He highlighted the "sobering human toll," noting that the Nablus Governorate has been particularly affected by recent violence. According to UN figures, 76 Palestinians, including 18 children, have been killed in the West Bank this year by Israeli forces or settlers. During the same period, three Israelis, including one civilian, were killed in confrontations with Palestinians or in an alleged ramming attack.
The UN also reported that since January 2023, 127 Palestinian communities in the West Bank have experienced full or partial displacement, affecting over 6,390 Palestinians. Approximately 3,800 Palestinians, nearly half of them children, have been displaced due to settler violence, demolitions, and evictions in 2026.
Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, dismissed the notion that settlements impede peace, asserting that they will remain and expand due to Israel's historical and legal claims to the land. He stated to the Security Council, "we are not going anywhere."