Dozens of masked Israeli settler extremists launched an assault on homes near the occupied West Bank village of Qusra over the weekend, marking a significant escalation following a recent settlement siege in the area that garnered international attention.
During the attack, the settlers encircled a Palestinian residence, pelting it with stones while seven Palestinian individuals were trapped inside, as reported by witnesses. Saddam Oday, one of the trapped residents, recounted that the Israeli military deployed tear gas into the house and detained its occupants, while he was released without being held. Notably, the military did not detain any of the settlers involved and permitted them to depart.
The homeowner, Luay Bayrudi, described how upon the military’s arrival, soldiers handcuffed, blindfolded, and physically assaulted those inside before eventually letting them go. In response, the Israeli military claimed that troops and border police intervened to disperse “rioters” and safeguard the residents within the targeted house.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his initial public statement regarding the situation in Qusra, condemned the violence and attributed it to a “small group of troublemakers.” He voiced his strong disapproval of the violent acts in Qusra and a neighboring village, Jalud.
Residents have reported frequent incursions by settlers in the vicinity. Bayrudi mentioned that after seeking assistance from the Israeli military, he and six others were trapped inside their home for over an hour while facing stone-throwing by settlers. Oday, a medic, indicated that four trapped individuals suffered from tear gas exposure, while two sustained injuries from the thrown stones.
The attack took place close to three homes that were previously besieged by settlers, prompting international condemnation and a substantial Israeli military presence that effectively restricted the residents’ movement. Loui Ridi, a Palestinian American whose home was among those besieged earlier, observed the assault from his residence and highlighted the recurring instances of settler encroachment despite the heightened military presence in the area.
According to rights groups, the surge in settler activities near Palestinian communities like Qusra is part of a broader strategy to seize more land from Palestinians, encroaching further into territories designated for a future Palestinian state. Instances of violence by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank have been on the rise, with some feeling emboldened under the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu, who oversaw a significant expansion of settlements in the region.
The Israeli military affirmed its commitment, along with the border police, to maintain operational presence in Qusra and neighboring Jalud to prevent further disturbances and restore order. While the settlements are deemed illegal by the United Nations and most countries under international law governing military occupations, Israel contests this classification, viewing the territories as disputed rather than occupied.