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Qusra home besieged
Israeli settlers, backed by Israeli forces, surrounded a Palestinian home in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, and at least four Palestinians were trapped inside while settlers set fire to nearby land on Saturday.
“At least four Palestinians were trapped inside the home”
Al Jazeera journalists on the ground said residents reported dozens of settlers descending on Qusra, throwing stones at locals and barricading themselves inside a house while Palestinians were inside.
Qusra Mayor Abdel Azim Wadi told Al Jazeera that Israeli forces at the scene attempted to arrest the besieged Palestinians themselves, and later the Israeli army arrested six Palestinians before releasing them a while later.
In a statement on Saturday, the Israeli military said it had responded to reports of “violent clashes” involving “Israeli rioters” in Qusra, removing them from the home and confiscating their vehicles, while saying forces would remain in the area “to prevent further disturbances and restore order.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X on Saturday, “I strongly condemn the criminal acts of violence committed in the villages of Qusra and Jalud by a handful of rioters who are violating the law … and harming Israel’s standing in the world.”
Condemnations and counts
In Jalud, a nearby village in Nablus Governorate, an Al Jazeera report said Israeli soldiers and settlers attacked six Palestinians who were trying to install metal bars and window shields on their homes, and later the Israeli army arrested the six Palestinians before releasing them a while later.
Al Jazeera also quoted resident Loui Abu Ridi, who said, “We’re not safe here. We fear for our own safety. Settlers are still moving freely around the house and attack the residents of the nearby houses too,” while describing efforts to get basic supplies.
Haaretz reported that Israeli military sources expressed concern that Netanyahu may be paving the West Bank for a directed deterioration aimed at shifting the agenda of the upcoming election in two months away from dwelling on the October 7, 2023 failures.
Haaretz said Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi doubts the government’s intent regarding the West Bank and “wants to avoid dragging the army into new security entanglements driven by political considerations.”
The Al Jazeera Net report added that Haaretz described the U.S. stance as limited to statements by U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman, who condemned the actions of a “violent minority.”
Aid, roadblocks, and risk
Al Jazeera said the Israeli forces declared the area a closed military zone and restricted Palestinians from entering and leaving, placing a gate at the main entrance of Qusra itself and forcing travelers to take alternative routes often blocked by Israeli forces.
“a nightmare … 21 days, we can’t even sleep”
Al Jazeera reported that on Wednesday the Israeli military erected three new roadblocks at locations that encircled the top of the Ras al-Ain hill, disconnecting homes from the area below, while Abu Ridi described the feeling of being trapped as “a nightmare … 21 days, we can’t even sleep.”
Al Jazeera Net reported that a European delegation including the EU’s representative for the Middle East peace process visited Qusra on Sunday, toured the town, met the municipal council president, and contacted a family besieged since the settler attack on Saturday to assess the size of the aid needed.
The same report said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) emphasized that three Palestinian families in Qusra remain isolated and that it has documented more than 1,540 settler attacks since the beginning of this year.
Al Jazeera Net also said Israeli military sources expressed concern that Netanyahu is paving the West Bank for escalation, with the report citing Haaretz’s account that the general Israeli election will be held on October 27, next, and that Netanyahu faces corruption, authoritarianism, and failure charges.