The recent encirclement of Palestinian residences by aggressive Israeli settlers in the village of Qusra within the occupied West Bank is not an isolated event. However, the media has focused more on the American citizenship of one of the Palestinian homeowners, Loui Ridi, compared to the frequent acts of aggression by hardline Jewish settlers attempting to displace Palestinians from their land.

Loui Ridi, a businessman from Ohio, returned to Qusra on August 17 to protect his home, as well as his brother and nephew residing there, from the surrounding settlers. In a video call with CBC news, Ridi mentioned that his family needed food but refused to leave their home, fearing it would be taken over by the settlers.

Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are deemed illegal under international law. The settlements have notably expanded under the current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and his ultranationalist coalition partners, accused of endorsing settler violence.

Upon his return to Qusra, Ridi raised an American flag on his building and sought assistance from the U.S. Embassy. The village of Qusra is situated around 16 kilometers south of Nablus, surrounded by settlement blocs and a rising number of outposts occupied by radical settlers.

Incidents of settler attacks causing harm or property destruction have averaged about six per day this year, as reported by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, marking a record high level of violence.

The U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, criticized the siege in Qusra, denouncing the perpetrators as “Israeli terrorists.” He emphasized the inexcusable and repugnant nature of the criminal activities targeting victimized families.

The ongoing violence in Qusra has raised concerns, with the IDF and Border Police dispatched to restore order and remove settlers blockading Palestinian homes. However, the failure to permanently evict the settlers has led Palestinians to believe that the IDF is supporting Israel’s settlement agenda.

The escalation of settler violence in the West Bank has sparked international condemnation, with countries like Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom criticizing Israel’s decision to publish construction tenders for a new settlement named E1 near occupied East Jerusalem. This move is seen as jeopardizing the two-state solution and disrupting the territorial integrity of the Palestinian Territories.