Israeli Settlers Trap Palestinian Families in West Bank Homes as Military Sends Israel’s military deployed additional troops to the occupied West Bank village of Qusra on Thursday after Israeli settlers surrounded three Palestinian homes, cutting off access and leaving families unable to enter or leave.
The confrontation began over the weekend when settlers blocked the road leading to the homes and erected a tent in their front yards, according to Palestinian residents. The families said the settlers had earlier cut off their water and electricity supplies.
The Palestinians have described the action as an attempt to force them from their land.
The Israeli military said it was seeking to disperse the settlers and restore security in the area. A previous attempt by troops to remove them using tear gas was unsuccessful.
The military subsequently announced that additional forces had been sent to Qusra to conduct what it described as “defensive missions and patrols” aimed at maintaining security and protecting the area.
Questions have also emerged over the conduct of some Israeli military personnel after video footage from earlier in the week appeared to show men in military uniform joining the settlers for morning prayers in the tent erected outside the Palestinian homes.
The Israeli military said it was investigating the incident and would take disciplinary action against any personnel involved.
The standoff comes amid continuing tensions in the occupied West Bank, where disputes over settlements and Palestinian land have increasingly been accompanied by confrontations involving settlers, local residents and Israeli forces.