US Wants Netanyahu to Condemn Settler Siege in Palestinian Village

Washington is pressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly condemn a siege imposed by Jewish settlers on Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra, according to US and Israeli officials.

The request came as settlers maintained a weeklong blockade of three homes, trapping Palestinian families and sparking a growing diplomatic crisis. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss sensitive conversations, said White House officials had made clear they expect Netanyahu to issue a public statement against the settlers’ actions.

The demands intensified after the administration learned that one of the buildings surrounded by settlers was the home of a Palestinian-American, the officials said. The American connection raised the stakes in Washington, where lawmakers and human rights advocates have urged the administration to take a harder line against settler violence.

Key Facts

• The White House has asked Netanyahu to publicly condemn the settler siege in Qusra.
• Settlers have besieged homes in Qusra for nearly a week, cutting off water and electricity and blocking entry and exit.
• US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned the settlers as “Israeli terrorists.”
• The United Nations says around 15 Palestinians, including two children, are trapped without water or electricity.
• The Israeli military says soldiers were sent to Qusra and removed a tent erected by settlers, while taking disciplinary action against personnel who joined a settler prayer.
• Netanyahu has not commented publicly, with an election roughly two months away.
• Rights groups describe the siege as part of a broader effort to seize land and connect settler outposts.

A Village Under Blockade

Qusra is a Palestinian village in the northern West Bank, near the settlement of Migdalim and a network of outposts. For nearly a week, settlers have occupied the outskirts of the village, positioning themselves in front yards and closing roads to three homes. Palestinian residents inside those homes have reported being surrounded, with settlers refusing to allow anyone to enter or leave.

Aysha Hassan, a Palestinian woman who lives in one of the besieged homes, told reporters by phone: “We are very afraid. There is nothing new. It’s been like this for six days. The settlers are still here.” Hassan said she had seen settlers below her house in the early hours of the morning. She shared videos with journalists showing groups of settlers wandering underneath her home, which she said she had taken from her window.

The United Nations has said some 15 Palestinians, including two children, were trapped inside their homes with no water or electricity. Humanitarian agencies have warned that the cutoff of basic services poses a serious health risk, especially for children and elderly residents. The lack of electricity has also prevented families from charging phones and contacting relatives outside the village.

Footage Shows Settlers Pitching a Tent

Footage shot by a Palestinian resident trapped in another of the besieged homes and obtained by journalists showed seven settlers standing outside near a blue tent. One of them is seen throwing stones toward the nearby village, while another arrives with chairs. The image of settlers setting up what appeared to be a permanent presence in the front yards of Palestinian homes heightened concerns that the siege was intended to force the families out and seize the land.

Later in the video, Israeli army vehicles and soldiers arrive, and the tent is seen collapsed on the ground. In a statement, the Israeli military said: “Israeli civilians erected a tent in the Qusra area, and IDF soldiers operated to remove it while protecting the local residents.” The statement came a day after dozens of troops were sent into Qusra and occupied several village homes, a move that Palestinian residents said added to the intimidation they felt.

US Pressure and Political Calculations

The siege has drawn public US criticism, but the private request to Netanyahu goes further. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee — a strong supporter of Jewish settlement in the West Bank — on Thursday condemned settlers besieging a Palestinian home as “Israeli terrorists.” The unusually sharp language from a pro-settlement envoy underscored how seriously Washington viewed the Qusra blockade.

Two officials, one American and one Israeli, said Friday that White House officials are pressing Netanyahu to publicly condemn the siege. They added that Washington began to protest after learning that the home of a Palestinian-American was among those under siege.

Netanyahu has not commented on the siege in Qusra. Neither his office nor the White House immediately responded to requests for comment.

Condemning settlers could be politically risky for Netanyahu some two months before an election, potentially upsetting settler voters upon whom parts of his right-wing coalition rely. Opinion polls show Netanyahu could lose power, with his security credentials still shaken after the October 7, 2023 attack and the war that followed. His government includes far-right parties that have championed settlement expansion and have called for greater Israeli control over the West Bank.

A Long History of Tensions

The West Bank has been under Israeli occupation since the 1967 Middle East war. It is home to some three million Palestinians and about 500,000 Jewish settlers, many of whom live in large settlement blocs that Israel says it needs for security. The international community generally considers the settlements illegal under international law, a position Israel disputes.

There are some 146 settlements in the West Bank, as well as 390 smaller outposts, according to the Israeli settlement watchdog group Peace Now. Outposts are often unauthorized even under Israeli law, but many receive tacit government support. Rights groups say settlers have been trying to seize properties on the outskirts of Qusra and neighbouring Jalud as part of a strategy to take the land between them and connect it with settler outposts to the south and larger settlements to the west.

Settler violence in the West Bank has risen sharply during the past three years, with attacks on Palestinian villages, olive groves, and herding communities becoming more common. Human rights organisations have documented cases in which settlers, sometimes accompanied by soldiers, seize land, uproot trees, and drive families from their homes. In many instances, Israeli security forces have been accused of standing by or even assisting settlers.

Military Response Under Scrutiny

The Israeli military has said soldiers have deployed in Qusra since Thursday morning to protect residents and maintain security. But video from earlier in the week showed several Israeli men in green military garb joining settlers in a morning prayer in the tent. The military said it was taking disciplinary action against any personnel involved.

The presence of off-duty soldiers or reservists at a settler protest has deepened concerns about the blurring of lines between the army and the settler movement. Israeli commanders have repeatedly stated that soldiers must not participate in political activities or assist settlers in actions against Palestinians, but enforcement has often been inconsistent.

The military’s decision to remove the tent was welcomed by some, but Palestinian residents noted that troops did not arrest any of the settlers involved in the blockade. The siege continued despite the removal of the tent, with settlers still present in the area, according to residents and rights workers.

Broader Context of Land Seizures

Rights groups say the Qusra siege is not an isolated incident. It fits a pattern of settler efforts to create facts on the ground by establishing outposts on strategic hilltops, controlling access routes, and gradually pushing Palestinian communities out. By connecting outposts to established settlements, settlers can expand the area under their control and reduce the land available for a future Palestinian state.

Palestinians in the northern West Bank have long faced this dynamic. Villages like Qusra and Jalud are surrounded by settlements and outposts, creating a patchwork of Israeli-controlled areas that are difficult for Palestinians to navigate. Farmers have been blocked from reaching fields, shepherds have lost grazing land, and families have been forced to leave their homes due to violence and settlement expansion.

The United Nations has repeatedly called on Israel to protect Palestinians from settler violence and to hold perpetrators accountable. International human rights groups have documented a rise in settler attacks, including physical assaults, property destruction, and the displacement of entire communities.

The Qusra siege has also drawn attention to the role of outposts and illegal construction. Right-wing Israeli politicians, including members of Netanyahu’s coalition, have promoted the legalisation of outposts and the expansion of settlements. Previous governments have approved thousands of new settlement homes, and the current government has gone further, legalising wildcat outposts and advancing plans for major settlement construction.

For Palestinians, the siege is a reminder that daily life in the occupied West Bank remains precarious. The homes in Qusra that have been blockaded are ordinary family homes, but they sit on land that settlers view as part of their own expansion plans. The residents have little recourse beyond waiting for the army, the courts, or diplomatic pressure to intervene.

As the standoff continues, the families inside the besieged homes have survived on limited supplies and have relied on neighbours for food and water. The UN and local organisations have documented their condition, but access to the area remains restricted. In the meantime, the White House’s request to Netanyahu remains unanswered, and the political calculus in Israel grows more complicated with each passing day.

Source: MSN News