Activists try to get supplies to besieged Palestinians

Activists attempted to deliver supplies to Palestinians trapped under a week-long siege by Israeli settlers in the West Bank near Nablus. The Israeli military remained deployed at the site, despite repeated attempts to remove the settlers. Activists marched towards the blockaded houses, carrying a Palestinian flag, signs demanding justice, and donations for the families.

They dropped donated supplies near the gates of one house where heavily armed Israeli security forces were present. The military stated they would inspect the supplies before allowing them inside the house. However, by late morning, the activists' tent had been removed, and the settlers were nowhere to be seen. According to the United Nations, around 15 Palestinians, including two children, were trapped with no access to water or electricity.

Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed the military to prepare a plan to transfer civil enforcement matters from the military to the Israeli police, a move seen as a step towards the annexation of the West Bank. Several ministers in Netanyahu's right-wing government advocate for annexation of the West Bank, currently an occupied territory.

The Israeli military's role is to combat Palestinian terrorism and protect the country's borders and communities. The transfer of enforcement powers to the police is unlikely to occur before the national elections scheduled for October 27, according to a statement from Katz's office. The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, criticized the siege, calling the settlers' actions "disgusting" and "thuggish behavior."

The besieged home is owned by a US citizen. The West Bank is home to three million Palestinians and 500,000 settlers, with 146 settlements and 390 smaller outposts. Palestinians argue that the enforcement distinction is meaningless, as they are subject to Israeli military law while settlers are governed by Israeli civil law. Rights groups accuse the military of aiding settlers and using the distinction as an excuse for inaction.