Washington presses Netanyahu to condemn settler siege in West Bank village

The United States is urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly condemn extremist settlers who have besieged Palestinian families in the West Bank village of Kusra, according to US and Israeli officials. Settlers have surrounded homes in Kusra for nearly a week, cutting off water and electricity, trapping Palestinians in an area where rights groups claim settlers are aggressively attempting to seize more land, further eroding territory Palestinians aim to establish a state.

This development follows criticism from the US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who called the settlers besieging a Palestinian home "Israeli terrorists" on Thursday. Officials from both the White House and Israel claim they have been pressing Netanyahu to condemn the settlers' actions. However, the US and Israel began protesting after learning that the home of a Palestinian-American family was among those targeted, according to two officials speaking on condition of anonymity.

White House officials worry that condemning settlers could be politically risky for Netanyahu, especially with his upcoming election less than two months away and his security credentials still tarnished by the 2023 Hamas attacks. Aysha Hassan, a Palestinian resident in one of the besieged homes, told Reuters by phone that the situation has persisted for six days and expressed fear over the ongoing siege.

Despite receiving some aid, including food, bottled water, and canned goods, from foreign and Israeli activists, Hassan said the military prevented direct delivery to the homes, describing the area as a closed military zone. The Palestinian woman said she observed settlers below her house during early hours and shared videos showing groups of settlers wandering underneath her home.

The Israeli military has stated that they removed the tent erected by settlers in Kusra, but Palestinian residents claim they still remain trapped with no running water or electricity. The UN has reported that around 15 Palestinians, including two children, are trapped inside their homes. Footage from an earlier week shows settlers near a tent with one individual throwing stones towards the village, while another arrives with chairs.