Escalating Violence: Israeli Settlers and Military Encircle Palestinian Home in Qusra

Israeli settlers, backed by Israeli forces, have surrounded a Palestinian home in the village of Qusra, located south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. At least four Palestinians remain trapped inside the residence as settlers have set fire to surrounding land, according to Al Jazeera journalists. Efforts are currently under way to secure coordination for ambulances to reach the location and evacuate one injured individual.

The village of Qusra has experienced a sharp increase in settler violence over the past month. Following an incident in July where settlers set fire to a local mosque, three Palestinian homes in the Ras al-Ain area have been besieged since August 9, resulting in cut-offs to water, electricity, and essential supplies.

“We’re not allowed to live freely in and out of our houses; no one is allowed to bring us any food or visit us from family members or friends,” Loui Abu Raideh, a resident trapped in his home, told Al Jazeera. Raideh explained that residents must coordinate with the mayor of Qusra for food and supplies, a process that can take between three to four days for approval.

In response to the situation, Israeli forces have declared the area a closed military zone, restricting Palestinian movement and installing a gate at the main entrance of Qusra. Palestinians attempting to travel into the village are forced to use alternative routes that are frequently blocked by Israeli forces. On Wednesday, the Israeli military erected three new roadblocks encircling the top of the Ras al-Ain hill, effectively disconnecting homes from the area below.

Describing the ordeal, Raideh stated that the feeling of being trapped is “a nightmare … 21 days, we can’t even sleep, we have to stay up at night [and] keep watching the security cameras, because those settlers can attack any time.”

Attacks by settlers—backed by the Israeli military—targeting Palestinian homes, businesses, and farmland across the West Bank have persisted for decades amid the expansion of illegal settlements. The frequency and intensity of these assaults have escalated significantly since Israel launched its military campaign against Palestinians in Gaza in October 2023, following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.