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Qusra siege, canopy removal
Israeli militants besieged two Palestinian families in their West Bank homes in the village of Qusra, trapping Yousef Hassan inside with his wife and two young daughters after a tent was set up outside on Sunday afternoon.
“aiming to take over their properties in the West Bank village of Qusra”
Haaretz reported that Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, head of the IDF Central Command, and Brig. Gen. Niso Guetta, head of the Border Police for the Judea and Samaria District, oversaw the completion on Wednesday morning of a joint military operation to remove a shade canopy from the yard of a Palestinian home in Qusra.
The siege left Hassan’s family with power and water cut off, and the BBC described the besieging as continuing with families saying their supplies were running out.
AOL.co.uk said the situation included a blocked ambulance when Hassan’s younger daughter, a two-year-old, fell ill with vomiting and a high fever on Monday, with the girls and their mother eventually evacuated on Tuesday.
Promises, discipline, and quotes
On Wednesday morning, the commander of Israeli forces in the region, Gen Avi Bluth, visited the families and promised to lift the siege, as an Israeli military spokesperson said and Hassan confirmed.
Hassan told the BBC, "For the first time, I feel that there is some seriousness on the part of the army in dealing with the settlers," while adding that it had not yet produced tangible results.
The Jerusalem Post said the United States believes Israel is not doing enough to prevent violent settler attacks in the West Bank, citing a senior White House official who planned to discuss the issue with the Prime Minister's Office.
The Jerusalem Post also said the IDF began lifting the siege imposed on two homes in Qusra, but clashes broke out between troops and settlers, and as of Wednesday evening the siege had not yet been lifted.
Escalation and international stakes
As the siege continued in Qusra, the BBC said it was not clear if the deal means the Israelis will pause their offensive in Lebanon, while it also reported that Israel and Hezbollah are still fighting in Lebanon despite a US-brokered ceasefire that began 12 days ago.
“"Settler militias, backed by the Israeli military, are expanding their attacks"”
AOL.co.uk said Israeli militants target Palestinians with near total impunity in the occupied West Bank, adding that since 2020 Israeli civilians and soldiers have killed more than 1,100 Palestinians there and there has been only one indictment over those deaths.
The Guardian quoted B’Tselem’s executive director, Yuli Novak, saying, "Settler militias, backed by the Israeli military, are expanding their attacks into Palestinian villages and towns – seizing land, attacking homes and forcing families out."
France 24 reported that the Israeli military condemned the settlers’ actions and declared the area a "closed military zone," while AFP reported that by mid-afternoon the tent had been removed but the settlers were still at the site and Abu Rida said, "The army has withdrawn, and so far we are still besieged, with the settlers at our doorstep."
