Israeli settlers have maintained a siege on three Palestinian families inside their homes in the occupied West Bank, severing water and electricity supplies in a campaign that residents describe as a deliberate attempt to seize their land. Israel has occupied the territory since 1967.
Security camera footage from the village of Qusra, located south of Nablus, captured images on Wednesday of Israeli settlers surrounding a residential structure. Trapped residents reported that Israeli soldiers failed to disperse the settlers, despite having intervened earlier in the day.
Aisha Abu Rida, one of the residents under siege, told Al Jazeera that the blockade began on Sunday, when settlers obstructed all entrances to her home. She expressed a firm resolve to remain, stating, “We are surrounded by settlers, but we are steadfast, God willing. We will not leave our home, no matter what happens. Despite the water and electricity being cut off, we will remain steadfast.”
“Despite their repeated attacks, which are aimed at displacing us, God willing, we will remain steadfast and stay in our homes, even if we are martyred,” she added. Turkiye’s Anadolu news agency reported that the mayor of Qusra was informed by the Israeli army that the military operation in the area is expected to continue until Sunday morning.
Loai Ridi, an American-Palestinian who owns a house in the village, confirmed that his brother, Qusai Abu Rida, and 18-year-old nephew, Ahmed, are among those trapped. Speaking from Toledo, Ohio, Ridi explained that the family is currently surviving on a temporary solar power system and limited reserves of well water collected during the winter.
“He [Qusai Abu Rida] does not want to leave the home. Because if he leaves the home, the settlers will take over immediately,” Ridi said. “It is very difficult. He told me, ‘I only have supplies for two to three days left. And if no one is able to provide us with food, I am not sure what else I can do’.”
Ridi alleged that Israeli forces did little to assist when his brother initially called for help on Sunday. He further claimed that soldiers were seen kneeling to pray alongside the settlers, a scene captured in footage that has since circulated on social media. “They basically did nothing,” he stated.
On Wednesday, additional Israeli forces arrived at the scene, dismantled a tent erected by the settlers, and engaged in a brief clash with approximately 50 to 60 individuals before withdrawing. Ridi criticized the lack of decisive action, noting, “They were unable to evacuate the settlers because they were not firm with them. They should have picked them up in vans and taken them away.”
The Israeli military later announced it would deploy an additional infantry battalion to the area. The chief of general staff has ordered continued efforts to maintain operational control and prevent further incidents. Previously, the military described the settler activity as “illegal, reprehensible and unacceptable,” promising disciplinary action against security personnel filmed at the site.
Qusra is situated in Area B of the occupied West Bank, which is nominally under Palestinian civil administration. The village has endured a series of recent attacks, including the arson of a newly constructed mosque last month. In the neighboring village of Jalud, a similar two-week siege in July resulted in two families being forced off their land, which was subsequently taken over by settlers.
The United Nations has warned that the situation in the occupied West Bank has reached a “breaking point.” UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ramiz Alakbarov stated on Tuesday that the UN has documented more than 1,430 settler attacks resulting in casualties or property damage across roughly 260 Palestinian communities in 2026.
According to UN figures, Israeli forces and settlers have killed 76 Palestinians, including 18 children, in the occupied territory this year. Additionally, about 3,800 Palestinians have been displaced by settler violence, demolitions, and evictions. Alakbarov noted that Israeli authorities have advanced or approved approximately 12,360 settlement housing units this year, warning that these actions are reshaping the territory and advancing “de facto annexation.”
Violence and land seizures in the occupied West Bank have intensified over the past months, with Jewish settlers emboldened by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which has overseen a rapid e
More than 500,000 Israelis live in the occupied West Bank in settlements that are considered illegal under international law, alongside roughly three million Palestinians.
According to the Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now, there are 146 illegal settlements in the West Bank and a further 390 smaller outposts.
Violence and land seizures in the occupied West Bank have intensified over the past months, with Jewish settlers emboldened by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which has overseen a rapid expansion of settlement construction in the territory.
Breaking the Silence, an Israeli rights group, said on X that while settlers commit “daily terror against Palestinian men, women, and children … neither this terror nor ethnic cleansing would be possible without the [Israeli] army’s support”.
He also noted that Israeli authorities have also advanced or approved roughly 12,360 settlement housing units across the West Bank this year, including 5,160 in occupied East Jerusalem.
Source: Aljazeera
