West Bank Village Siege Persists as Israeli Settlers Remain and Military Evicts Palestinians

International condemnation of Israel continues to mount as settlers maintain a five-day siege on Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra, amid reports of an impending military operation. While expressing "grave concern" over settler actions, the Israeli army has reportedly begun evicting Palestinians from the area while allowing the attacking settlers to remain. According to the Israeli outlet Haaretz, about 20 Palestinians in Qusra were evicted on Thursday morning. Families in the besieged homes have been handed eviction orders and are refusing to leave as the military plans a reported three-day operation, though the military did not immediately confirm these reports.

The army stated that it dismantled two nearby settler outposts overnight, though settlers remain present in the area. Previously, the military confiscated some settler belongings outside homes in Qusra before eventually withdrawing, and soldiers were filmed praying alongside the attacking settlers. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee denounced the attacking settlers as "Israeli terrorists," describing their actions to intimidate and harass the family as disgusting and inexcusable, though he dismissed reports that the White House was seeking clarity on how the siege was permitted.

The Israeli military stated on Wednesday that an incident at a house in Qusra was ongoing and that commanders expressed grave concern over actions carried out by Israeli civilians against the Palestinian family. The military added that disciplinary action would be taken against security personnel involved who were documented at the site. Israeli journalist Doron Kadosh reported on X that the intended operation in Qusra aims to remove Palestinians and seize homes, noting it is a highly unusual move amid widespread international criticism over the military's failure to protect the village's residents.

Previously in July, settlers forced a Palestinian family out of their home in the village of Jalud, which remains occupied by settlers. Furthermore, settlers began returning to Ganim in the northern West Bank on Thursday, one of four area settlements previously evacuated under the 2005 Disengagement Law. This return was announced by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party following a 2023 law change that paved the way for Israelis to return to West Bank settlements. Additionally, a new poll by the Jewish People Policy Institute revealed that 38 percent of Jewish Israelis support annexing the West Bank, with 22 percent favoring the relocation of West Bank Palestinians following annexation.