UN, Palestinian ministry condemn Israeli settler siege of West Bank homes

The United States has denounced the blockade of Palestinian homes by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, where they have severed water, electricity, and essential supplies to residents. Ambassador Mike Huckabee termed the settlers' actions as "an act of terror," intensifying American pressure that seems to have prompted Israeli forces to act.

Nick Schifrin reports on this development. The siege initiated when Israeli settlers transformed a home into an enclosure, sealing off the only entryway, cutting off water and power, and encircling nearby families. Security footage captured dozens of settlers surrounding a home in Qusra, built by a Palestinian-American, trapping his family, Qusai Ridi and his teenage son Ahmed.

Just two weeks prior, settlers had set mosques on fire, desecrating the interiors and leaving a threatening message on the exterior. Ruqaya Hassan and her daughter fled the Ridi family home after enduring repeated threats from settlers, including stones being thrown and the fear of bullets. The United Nations reports a surge in violent incidents by Israeli settlers, with over 1,400 cases in 260 communities this year, displacing more than 3,800 Palestinians and causing over 75 fatalities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attributes these attacks to Palestinians, citing over 300 Palestinian assaults in May alone, and asserting that dozens of settlers have been arrested. Netanyahu has vowed to curb settler violence, rejecting vigilantism regardless of the perpetrator's identity. The Israeli government has also pledged to augment its control in the West Bank, known locally as Judea and Samaria, despite the majority of residents being law-abiding citizens.

Last month, an Israeli soldier joined the settlers in prayer near the Ridi family home. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) vowed to hold soldiers accountable for their actions and described the settlers' land seizure as "illegal, reprehensible, and unacceptable." Yesterday, the IDF deployed tear gas against the settlers, but the family remained trapped.

Last night, the U.S. intervened, with Ambassador Mike Huckabee branding the settlers as terrorists, labeling their act as "disgusting." Israeli soldiers have since evacuated the Ridi family, though they have since returned to the property. The IDF has reinforced the area with an additional battalion and dismantled nearby illegal settler outposts, yet the Ridi family provided the News Hour with footage showing settlers still loitering outside their home.