Settlers Besiege Palestinian Families in Qusra

Israeli settlers have surrounded three Palestinian families inside their homes in Qusra, a village south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, cutting off water and electricity and restricting access to food and other supplies. Residents say the siege began on Sunday and is intended to pressure them into leaving so their land can be taken. Security footage reportedly shows settlers surrounding one of the homes, while residents say Israeli soldiers failed to remove them despite intervening. Aisha Abu Rida, one of the residents, said the families would remain in their homes despite the siege and repeated attacks. Loai Ridi, a Palestinian-American from Toledo whose brother and 18-year-old nephew are among those trapped, said the family was relying on a temporary solar system and limited well water. He said they had only two or three days of supplies remaining and feared that leaving would allow settlers to take over the property. Israeli forces later dismantled a settler tent and clashed with approximately 50 to 60 settlers, but withdrew without evacuating them. The Israeli military subsequently said it would deploy an additional infantry battalion and described the settlers’ actions as illegal and unacceptable. It also said disciplinary action would be taken against security personnel filmed at the site. The article places the incident within a broader escalation of settler violence, land seizures, settlement expansion and Palestinian displacement. Qusra has experienced other attacks, while a similar siege in nearby Jalud reportedly forced two families from their land in July. Rights groups have accused the Israeli army of enabling settler violence and ethnic cleansing. United Nations figures cited in the report say 76 Palestinians have been killed and about 3,800 displaced in the West Bank this year. The UN has documented more than 1,430 settler attacks and warned that settlement construction and violence are contributing to the weakening of Palestinian governance and de facto annexation.

The Al Jazeera report describes the ongoing siege of three Palestinian families in Qusra, in the occupied West Bank, by Israeli settlers. According to the report, the families are confined inside their homes while settlers block the roads leading to the residences and cut off essential services, including water and electricity. These actions have left the families isolated and unable to safely leave their homes or access basic necessities. The situation reportedly continued for at least two days. During that period, the Israeli army evacuated a nearby settler outpost, an action that might have temporarily reduced the immediate threat to the families. However, the report says that settlers returned within hours of the evacuation, indicating that the military action did not end the siege or restore normal access to the affected homes. The report identifies Qusra as being in the occupied West Bank and frames the incident within the broader Israel-Palestine conflict. It does not provide the names of the families, details about injuries or arrests, or statements from the settlers, the Israeli army, or Palestinian officials. It also does not specify how the families obtained food, medical care, or other necessities while the roads and utilities were blocked. The central focus is the families’ continued confinement, the disruption of basic services, and the apparent inability of the army’s intervention to prevent the settlers’ return. The article was published on August 13, 2026.

Two Palestinian families in the West Bank village of Qusra near Nablus say Israeli settlers have besieged their homes since Sunday, cutting off water and electricity, blocking access, and leaving their food supplies depleted. The Abu Ridi and Hassan families have appealed for help on social media, saying they are isolated and living in fear. Palestinian security footage reportedly shows settlers dismantling a wall outside the Abu Ridi home and using the stones to block the road, trapping seven people, including two children. The incident has drawn criticism of the Israeli security forces. The first soldiers who arrived after the families reported the settlers were filmed praying with them, while Israeli journalists said soldiers failed to intervene when settlers blocked their vehicle. The human rights group Yesh Din called on Israel’s military to protect the families, remove the outpost and hold those responsible accountable. A Palestinian ambulance eventually delivered food and took one child for medical treatment. The Israel Defense Forces condemned the creation of the outpost and the seizure of Palestinian homes as illegal and unacceptable. Clashes later occurred between security forces and settlers, with tear gas and stun grenades used. The IDF said the outpost was being evacuated and that disciplinary action would be taken against security personnel documented at the scene. The article places the events in a broader pattern of escalating settler violence, including the burning of a mosque in Qusra and the prolonged occupation of a Palestinian home in nearby Jalud. UN officials say settler violence and displacement have reached unprecedented levels, with thousands of Palestinians displaced in recent years. Israel’s UN ambassador rejected the view that settlements obstruct peace, arguing that Israel has historical, biblical and legal rights to the territory.