Dozens of Israeli settler militants wearing masks launched an assault on homes surrounding the occupied West Bank village of Qusra on Saturday, marking the first significant attack since a previous incident earlier this month that had caused an international uproar. Witnesses informed Reuters that in one instance, the settlers encircled a Palestinian residence, hurling stones while seven Palestinians were trapped inside.
Saddam Oday, one of the trapped individuals, claimed that the Israeli military deployed tear gas into the house and detained the occupants while releasing him. Oday further stated that the military did not apprehend any of the settlers and permitted them to depart. The house owner, Luay Bayrudi, recounted that upon the military’s arrival, soldiers handcuffed, blindfolded, and physically assaulted the individuals inside before subsequently releasing them.
The Israeli military released a statement indicating that troops and border police forces had intervened to disperse “rioters” and safeguard the residents within the house. However, the military did not immediately respond to inquiries regarding the reported use of tear gas, detainment, and physical abuse of the residents.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his initial public statement on the matter, condemned the violence in Qusra and attributed it to a “handful of rioters.” He expressed strong disapproval of the violent acts in Qusra and a neighboring village named Jalud.
Residents reported frequent incursions, with Bayrudi mentioning that after seeking assistance from the Israeli military, he and six others were trapped inside the house for over an hour as settlers pelted stones. Oday, a medic, disclosed that four of the trapped individuals sustained injuries due to tear gas exposure, while two were hurt by thrown stones.
The assault occurred near three homes that had been besieged earlier this month, eliciting international condemnation and a substantial Israeli military presence that effectively confined the residents within their homes. Loui Ridi, a Palestinian American resident whose home was among those under siege, observed the attack from his residence.
Settler violence is on the ascent, with rights groups asserting that the increased settler presence on the outskirts of Palestinian villages like Qusra forms part of a broader campaign to annex more Palestinian land. The surge in settler violence in the occupied West Bank has been linked to the Israeli government’s settlement expansion under Prime Minister Netanyahu’s leadership.
The Israeli military affirmed its commitment, along with border police, to maintain operations in Qusra and neighboring Jalud to prevent further disruptions and restore order. The settlements are widely considered illegal by the United Nations and most nations under international law governing military occupations, though Israel contests this view, regarding the area as disputed rather than occupied.