Dozens of Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Qusra in the occupied West Bank on Saturday following weeks of escalating tensions in the area, according to the Israeli military and a local resident.
The assault in the northern West Bank near Nablus was the first major attack reported since a siege by settlers earlier this month drew widespread domestic and international condemnation.
Dozens of Israeli security forces were deployed to the village as soldiers and border police attempted to end the violence and clear the area.
Yousef Abdul Karim Hassan, a resident of Qusra, told Agence France-Presse that five villagers were performing work inside a house when an initial group of settlers approached them. The settlers later returned with dozens of additional men, surrounding the Palestinians inside the property and throwing stones at them.
Video footage recorded inside the village by Agence France-Presse showed dozens of Israeli military personnel deployed across the area.
Eyewitnesses speaking to Reuters said dozens of masked Israeli settlers attacked homes surrounding Qusra. Settlers surrounded one Palestinian home while throwing stones, trapping seven Palestinians inside.
Military and Police Response
The Israeli military, which has occupied the West Bank since 1967, said security forces rushed to the scene following reports that Israeli rioters had arrived and that violent clashes and stone throwing were taking place against Palestinians and other citizens.
In a statement, police said security forces identified dozens of rioters who had fortified themselves inside a Palestinian house while local residents were present. Security forces worked to extract the settlers from the residence.
Police reported that there were reports of injured Palestinians, though authorities did not provide further details regarding casualties. Officers also impounded vehicles suspected of being used by settlers to reach the village to serve as evidence in an ongoing investigation.
Besieged Residents Face Shortages
German news agency dpa reported that radical settlers continued to besiege homes of Palestinian residents in Qusra following the initial clashes.
Palestinian news agency WAFA quoted village elder Abdul Asim al-Wadi as saying residents remained unable to leave their homes. He added that supplies of food and certain medicines were running out.
A relative of local residents stated recently that villagers have stayed inside out of fear that settlers will occupy their homes if left unattended.
Tensions in the village have previously drawn international attention. US Ambassador Mike Huckabee recently called the settlers in Qusra Israeli terrorists.
Rising Violence Across West Bank
Settler attacks, harassment, and intimidation have intensified across the West Bank since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. These incidents rarely lead to criminal prosecutions.
More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements across the West Bank, which are illegal under international law, alongside approximately three million Palestinians.
According to an Agence France-Presse tally based on Palestinian Ministry of Health figures, Israeli soldiers or settlers have killed at least 1,103 Palestinian fighters and civilians since October 7, 2023. Over the same period, Israeli official figures show that at least 48 Israelis, including civilians and security forces, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or military operations.
