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Qusra siege and clashes
Israeli settlers besieged two Palestinian families in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra near Nablus, with the families saying their water and power supplies were cut off and their food stocks ran low after the siege began on Sunday.
“Israeli settlers have been besieging two Palestinian families in their homes in the occupied West Bank since Sunday”
The BBC reported that on Wednesday Israeli security forces withdrew from the Jewish settler outpost in Qusra following clashes with a crowd of extremist settlers, leaving about a dozen settlers at the site.
In parallel, the Jerusalem Post said IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir held a situational assessment on Wednesday with Central Command chief Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth, Operations Directorate chief Maj.-Gen. Itzik Cohen, and Operations Division chief Brig.-Gen. Barak Hiram, as IDF troops arrived to lift a siege imposed on Palestinian homes.
The Jerusalem Post added that Zamir instructed the military to continue efforts to restore order and strengthen operational control in the area and ordered an additional active-duty infantry battalion to reinforce the sector.
The BBC said Palestinian security camera footage showed settlers tearing down a wall outside the Abu Ridi family's home on Sunday evening and using the stones to block the road, leaving seven people including two young girls unable to leave their homes while other Palestinians could not reach them.
US anger and Israeli responses
The United States sent Israel “furious” messages and demanded explanations from Tel Aviv about illegal Israeli settler violence in Qusra, with Yedioth Ahronoth reporting that American officials said they were “shocked” and questioned what was happening.
TRT World reported that the Americans raised difficult questions about whether there is “anarchy in Israel and how it is possible that the army does not prevent harm to Palestinians,” as B’Tselem warned of escalating “ethnic cleansing” in the occupied West Bank.
In the same Qusra episode, the BBC reported that posting on Facebook, Qusay Abu Ridi wrote, “We are living in our own home, on our own land, and we are asking for nothing more than the right to live safely and with dignity.”
The New York Times described how Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth showed up in Qusra early Wednesday, listened as one family described how settlers had been terrorizing them since January, and then dispersed the settlers with tear gas before soldiers left by 10:20 a.m.
The New York Times quoted Aisha Hassan, 35, saying, “But when we saw that the army could not stop the settlers — now, honestly, we are more afraid.”
Escalation and what’s at risk
UN News said the Security Council held an open debate on Tuesday expected to address escalating Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank as attacks on Palestinians and their property continue.
“1,122 Palestinians were killed in the occupied West Bank between the start of the Israel-Hamas war on 7 October 2023 and 24 July 2026”
UN News also cited OCHA reporting that 1,122 Palestinians were killed in the occupied West Bank between the start of the Israel-Hamas war on 7 October 2023 and 24 July 2026, including 76 killed this year, and said Israeli forces or Israeli settlers injured at least 37 Palestinians between 28 July and 3 August.
The Jerusalem Post said Zamir instructed forces throughout the West Bank to review the rules governing their conduct and use of force in incidents of this kind, adding that the chief of staff instructed that the rules be reiterated to all forces in the Judea and Samaria sector.
In parallel, Al-Jazirah Net reported that more than 300 reserve soldiers signed a petition addressed to Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi, stating, “We are reserve soldiers who have served hundreds of days since October 7, 2023, including in the West Bank.”
Al-Jazirah Net also quoted Knesset member Gilad Kariv on X, writing, “Enough turning a blind eye to these gangs. Reclaim control in your hands again,” as it described continued besiegement of the house in Qusra after the army withdrew.
