Some 15 settlers enter Kusra despite IDF closure, Palestinian residents report feeling threatened
Palestinian residents who remain in the area told KAN News that they still feel threatened by Jewish extremists in the area.
On Saturday, approximately 15 settlers ventured into the Palestinian village of Kusra in the West Bank, despite the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) having declared the area a closed military zone, as reported by Army Radio. Local Palestinian residents expressed their fear and concern over the presence of Jewish extremists in the vicinity.
Marmar Odeh, a local resident, mentioned to KAN News that the IDF and police forces were present a few meters away, observing the situation from a house under siege in civilian attire as they patrolled the area.
Prior to the IDF's intervention, the settlers had been moving around their territory with pickup trucks, all-terrain vehicles, and livestock. Odeh stated that the settlers had been driven off after the IDF entered the homes. He expressed his primary worry that, should the IDF withdraw from the area, the settlers might intensify their attacks on Palestinian homes. Odeh further reported that the settlers were still in the region, hiding and emerging from various locations.
In response to the incident, the IDF has sent an additional battalion to the village for reinforcement. The IDF spokesperson disclosed that a probe into the matter would be conducted, focusing on the reasons behind the 48-hour delay in evacuating the illegal outpost established by the Jewish extremists, as well as the delay in removing the outpost for a second time after the settlers returned. The IDF representative emphasized that the incident was serious and would be investigated thoroughly.
Channel 12 reported that the IDF will also investigate the evacuation of Palestinian families from the town on Thursday, following an instruction to vacate the area. Tensions in Kusra escalated on Wednesday, after the settlers engaged in physical altercations with IDF soldiers following the evacuation of a settler outpost. Footage captured by Channel 12 showed the extremists dismantling fences, obstructing roads, and surrounding the area.
Despite the IDF's capability to swiftly remove the Jewish extremists from the village, there appear to be constraints on the force used by the troops. The IDF sources suggested to The Jerusalem Post that military forces might maintain a presence in the area for an extended period. However, the duration of their stay was not disclosed.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
