Israeli military forces have raided the occupied West Bank town of Qusra, imposing a curfew and ordering local shops to close following a tense four-day siege by illegal settlers. The military deployment on Thursday saw a large force, including infantry troops and dozens of military vehicles, enter the town located south of Nablus to enforce the restrictions amid escalating settler violence.
The crisis began on Sunday in Qusra’s Ras al-Ain area, where illegal settlers erected a tent and temporary structures directly among Palestinian homes. Since then, settlers have surrounded three Palestinian homes, blocking residents from entering or leaving and preventing visitors from reaching them. Local residents reported that the ongoing blockade has completely cut the besieged families off from food and other essential supplies, leaving them isolated inside.
One of the blockaded homes belongs to a United States citizen, which prompted rare intervention and sharp criticism from the US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. Despite being a staunch supporter of illegal settlements, Huckabee strongly condemned the settlers' actions, labeling the blockade a "horrific act of terror" designed to intimidate and harass the family.
In a statement posted on X, Huckabee wrote that the actions of those who carried out the act were "disgusting" and added that there is "no excuse for such thuggish behaviour." Huckabee, an evangelical Christian pastor who has historically opposed Palestinian statehood and supported Israeli settlements, noted that Israeli authorities intervened following a request from the United States. Although soldiers removed the settlers' tent on Wednesday, eyewitnesses reported that the settlers remained in the area.
In response to the continuing unrest, the Israeli military announced plans to deploy an additional battalion to the area in an effort to restore order. Settler violence against Palestinians has risen sharply since October 2023, when Israel launched its war on Gaza. Currently, more than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in West Bank settlements, which are considered illegal under international law, alongside approximately three million Palestinians who have lived under occupation since 1967.
