Jewish settlers block police effort to return Palestinian family to West Bank home

Dozens of Jewish settlers confronted Israeli border police and military units as they attempted to escort the Tubassi family back to their home in the West Bank town of Jalud on Monday night. The family, who had been forced to leave in July following a weeks-long siege, was driven to the compound in four Israeli vehicles when stone-throwing settlers began hurling rocks at the armed forces. Police responded with tear gas and stun grenades, while the settlers entered the property and set fire to a house and a car, injuring several officers, the Israeli military said.

Mahmoud Tubassi, 60, told reporters that the family was urged onto the roof by security personnel before being taken to safety in an armored vehicle. He said the forces could have used rubber or live bullets but did not intervene to stop the settlers. The incident follows an earlier attack on August 28, when masked settlers assaulted the Tubassis and an NBC News crew, leaving the wife, Aida Ahmed Abdullah, unconscious.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the violence, calling for prosecution of the rioters and describing them as a small minority of settlers. The statement echoed remarks he made at the United Nations General Assembly, where he referred to the perpetrators as “a handful of juvenile delinquents.”

The High Court of Justice had ordered authorities to facilitate the family’s return within two weeks and to explain obstacles preventing access to the house. It remains unclear when, or if, another attempt to enforce the court order will be made, as the home suffered significant damage in the fire.