Israeli troops in West Bank homes besieged by settlers

Israeli troops have stationed themselves inside Palestinian residences in the West Bank village of Qusra, after settlers surrounded three houses and initiated a blockade, according to the village mayor. The siege commenced over the weekend when Jewish settlers blocked the road leading to the three homes and erected a tent in their front yards, preventing anyone from entering or exiting.

The settlers had previously severed the families' electricity and water supplies. Six homes in Qusra have been evacuated and taken over by Israeli soldiers, including the three besieged houses, with the two families residing in one of them. Photos depict several Israeli soldiers standing outside one of the homes, informing the families that military operations in Qusra could persist until Sunday.

The Israeli military stated that troops were deployed to safeguard locals and ensure security, and that families would remain in their homes. However, it clarified that soldiers would not operate within the Palestinian family's residence near the tent's earlier location. The UN reported that 15 Palestinians, comprising two children, were stranded inside their homes in a state of distress, lacking essential necessities and access to water or electricity.

Video footage from earlier in the week showed Israeli men in military attire participating in a morning prayer with the settlers in the tent. The military announced disciplinary action against personnel involved in the incident. The Israeli military has faced mounting pressure to halt unauthorized land acquisitions by settlers, particularly amid the right-wing government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which has accelerated settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.

The two families under siege contend that they lack food, medicine, and that settlers have damaged their property, thrown stones at their homes, and verbally harassed them. Qusay Abu Reeda, a Palestinian trapped in one of the homes owned by his brother living in the US, appealed for assistance from government institutions and the public to secure food and medicine.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee affirmed that the Israeli military and police were dispatched at their request to remove the alleged "terrorists" threatening the family's home, deeming their actions "criminal." Palestinians accuse the Israeli military of permitting settlers to seize land and resources in the West Bank, including areas under full Israeli control, with settlements numbering 146 and smaller outposts totaling 390, according to the Israeli settlement watchdog group Peace Now.