‘We are starving’: Palestinians besieged by settlers in West Bank homes run out of food

Around 15 people, including children, are trapped in three homes in the West Bank town of Qusra after being besieged by Israeli settlers for 12 days. Ruqaya Hassan, one of the women trapped inside, told Middle East Eye that her family is "starving". Aisha Hassan, who is sheltering with her mother and brother, said they were unable to receive food deliveries as Israeli soldiers blocked them.

Abdul-Azim Wadi, Qusra's mayor, said he had contacted the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to arrange food deliveries, but Israeli army officials had not approved access. Wadi accused the army of deliberately obstructing deliveries and using pretexts to delay them. The siege has also prevented Hassan's mother from attending the birth of one of her grandchildren.

Settlers have seized control of the area, harassing and threatening the Palestinian families, who have faced mounting pressure to leave for months. International organizations, including Amnesty International, have condemned the siege as part of a broader strategy of settler terrorism enabled by the Israeli state.