Israel sends more troops to West Bank village

Israel’s military said it will send more troops to the occupied West Bank after security forces failed to remove settlers who have trapped Palestinian families in their homes in the village of Qusra since Sunday, cutting off water and electricity as food supplies run low.

The standoff on the outskirts of Qusra, south of Nablus, has drawn renewed attention to rising settler violence and the difficulties Israeli forces have faced in confronting it. The BBC reported that two Palestinian families, the Abu Ridi and Hassan families, have been trapped. Al Jazeera reported that three families were under siege.

Videos from Qusra showed Israeli security vehicles, including a bulldozer, and later footage showed a long line of Israeli security forces on the road to the village, which remained a closed military zone. Local media reported that a nearby settler outpost had been demolished.

Qusay Abu Ridi, who has been trapped in his home since Sunday, told the BBC the house was attacked again overnight and that a few settlers remained nearby, hiding from the army. His brother, a Palestinian-American businessman who owns the property, had complained to the U.S. Embassy.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said the embassy had asked Israel to remove the settlers, describing them as “Israeli terrorists.” In a post on X, he wrote: “Actions by those who carried out this horrific act of terror meant to intimidate and harass this family are disgusting. No excuse for such thuggish behavior.”

Aisha Abu Rida, one of the residents, told Al Jazeera the siege began Sunday when settlers blocked all entrances to her home. “We are surrounded by settlers, but we are steadfast, God willing. We will not leave our home, no matter what happens. Despite the water and electricity being cut off, we will remain steadfast,” she said. “Despite their repeated attacks, which are aimed at displacing us, God willing, we will remain steadfast and stay in our homes, even if we are martyred.”

Loai Ridi, a Palestinian-American in Toledo, Ohio, told Al Jazeera that his brother Qusai Abu Rida and 18-year-old nephew, Ahmed, were among those trapped. He said the family was relying on a temporary solar power system and leftover well water after supply lines were cut. “He does not want to leave the home. Because if he leaves the home, the settlers will take over immediately,” Ridi said.

The Israeli military said its chief of general staff had ordered additional forces to “strengthen order and operational control” and prevent further incidents. A day earlier, the military said it had received reports of settlers entering and seizing Palestinian homes and land, calling the activity “illegal, reprehensible and unacceptable.” It also said disciplinary action would be taken against security personnel filmed at the site after soldiers were alleged to have prayed with settlers.

On Wednesday, Israeli forces tried to remove the settlers but withdrew after confrontations with a larger group. Footage shared with the BBC showed soldiers and border police using tear gas and stun grenades against a crowd of settlers. Al Jazeera said Israeli forces dismantled a tent and clashed with about 50 to 60 settlers before pulling back.

Qusra’s mayor, Abdel Azim Wadi, told the BBC residents had seen “a clear and sustained pattern of targeting Qusra.” Last month, a newly completed mosque was set on fire and Hebrew graffiti was sprayed nearby. In July, settlers surrounded a Palestinian home in nearby Jalud for more than two weeks; the owners later fled and settlers took over the property, the BBC reported.

Settlements are illegal under international law, though Israel disputes the characterization and has promoted their expansion. Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told a U.N. meeting that settlements are not an obstacle to peace and said Israel has biblical, historic and legal rights to the land. “We are not going anywhere,” he said.

According to U.N. figures cited by both outlets, 76 Palestinians, including 18 children, have been killed in the West Bank this year by Israeli forces or settlers. The BBC reported that three Israelis, including one civilian, were killed in confrontations with Palestinians and in an alleged ramming attack. The U.N. says about 3,800 Palestinians, nearly half of them children, have been displaced in 2026 by settler violence, demolitions and evictions.