Israeli soldiers entered and took positions inside palestinian homes in the West Bank village of Qusra on Thursday, village officials and residents said, after Jewish settlers had sealed off access to several houses and set up a tent in front of them earlier in the week.
- Israeli troops entered and occupied Palestinian homes in Qusra after settlers besieged several houses, village officials said.
- The Israeli military said its deployment was to protect residents and maintain security; the UN reported about 15 palestinians trapped without water or electricity.
- Local residents reported lack of food and medicine; one trapped resident appealed for assistance.
- The incident underscores wider tensions over settlement expansion and allegations that the military sometimes permits settler land seizures.
What happened in Qusra
The siege began over the weekend when settlers blocked the road to three homes in Qusra and pitched a tent in their front yards, villagers said. According to local officials, the settlers also cut the electricity and water supply to the families and refused them entry or exit.
Qusra mayor Abed Al Athem Wadi told reporters that six homes in the village were evacuated and taken over by Israeli soldiers, including the three hilltop homes that had been besieged; the two families living in those homes were gathered into a single house, the mayor said.
Residents and village officials said the military informed the families that operations in Qusra could continue through Sunday. Reuters photographers captured images of several Israeli soldiers stationed outside one of the homes.
Military and United Nations statements
The Israeli military said soldiers were deployed in Qusra from Thursday morning “to protect residents and maintain security” and that residents would remain in their homes, according to Reuters reporting. The military added that it would not operate inside a particular Palestinian family’s home located near the spot where a tent had been erected and later dismantled; the report said it was not immediately clear which of the three homes the military meant.
The United Nations said in a statement that about 15 Palestinians, including two children, were trapped inside their homes “in a state of terror,” lacking access to water and electricity and unable to attend to basic needs.
Attempts to remove settlers and conduct discipline
Earlier on Thursday, Israeli troops used tear gas in an attempt to dislodge the settlers but the action failed, the reporting said. The military told Reuters it had sent additional troops “to carry out defensive missions and patrols in the area to maintain security and protect the area.”
Video from the week showed several Israeli men in green military clothing joining settlers for a morning prayer inside the tent; the military said it was taking disciplinary measures against any personnel involved.
Conditions reported by trapped families
Residents under siege said they had no food or medicine. One of the trapped Palestinians, identified in the reporting as Qusay Abu Reeda, said the house in which he was trapped belonged to his brother, a U.S. citizen residing in Ohio, and appealed for help to secure food and medicine.
Broader context and statistics
The Reuters report placed the incident in the wider context of settler expansion and tensions in the occupied West Bank. It cited figures from the Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now that estimate roughly 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank alongside about three million Palestinians, and that some 146 settlements and 390 outposts exist there.
Reuters also noted that such land seizures and confrontations frequently occur on village outskirts in areas under full Israeli security control. The report said Palestinians accuse the military of allowing settlers to seize land and resources with impunity; the military has faced increasing pressure over settlers taking land amid a policy of accelerated settlement expansion under the current government.
International reactions cited in reporting
The Reuters piece included a quoted response attributed to the U.S. ambassador to Israel, identified in the reporting as Mike Huckabee, saying the Israeli military and police “have gone at our request to remove the Israeli terrorists doing this,” and calling the actions against the family “criminal.” The article did not quote any Israeli government response beyond the military statements described above.
Unresolved questions and reporting limits
- The report does not specify which of the three besieged homes the military said it would not operate inside, nor does it confirm whether soldiers remain inside the six homes mentioned later in the mayors comments.
- Details remain limited on the settlers composition, numbers or the organization that deployed them, and on the specific disciplinary steps the military said it would take regarding personnel who appeared in the video praying with settlers.
- The account relies on statements to Reuters from local officials, residents, the United Nations and the Israeli military. Independent verification beyond the Reuters reporting is not included in the available evidence packet.
What this means for the West Bank
The Qusra incident adds to a pattern of confrontations in the occupied West Bank where settlers and Palestinian residents clash over land and resources, according to the Reuters narrative. Reports place such incidents especially in areas where Israelis exercise full security control, and they underscore ongoing humanitarian impacts when families lose access to water, electricity and basic supplies.
Timeline (based on available reporting)
- Weekend before Aug. 13: Settlers close the road to three homes in Qusra, erect a tent in front yards and cut utilities, according to villagers.
- Earlier this week: Video shows people in military clothing joining settlers in morning prayer at the tent; military says it will discipline any personnel involved.
- One day before the military deployment: Troops deployed tear gas in a failed attempt to remove settlers.
- Thursday, Aug. 13: Reuters reports Israeli soldiers positioned inside six evacuated homes in Qusra; military says troops were sent to protect residents and maintain security. The UN reports about 15 people trapped inside homes without water or electricity.
Practical implications for residents and policymakers
For villagers in Qusra, the immediate needs are humanitarian: food, medicine, running water and power for those trapped, according to the reporting. For Israeli authorities and international actors, the incident illustrates persistent tensions over settlements and questions about the militarys role in preventing settler violence and protecting Palestinian civilians.
Reporting credits and sourcing
This article is based solely on the Reuters report filed from Qusra by Ali Sawafta and Ismael Khader and related summaries in the evidence packet. Statements and figures are attributed to the sources cited in that reporting.