Israeli forces intervene after settlers besiege two Palestinian families in West Bank village

Settlers and soldiers set up a tent outside the home of Yousef Hassan in the West Bank village of Qusra on Sunday, confining him, his wife and two young daughters inside. The blockade extended to his mother, brother, sister and three neighbours, with water and electricity cut off. A similar tactic was used in nearby Jalud, where the al-Tubasi family was driven out after a months-long siege.

When Hassan's two-year-old daughter fell ill on Monday, the settlers prevented an ambulance from reaching the house. The family was eventually evacuated on Tuesday, relying on water and juice delivered by the ambulance that came to collect the child. Hassan described the situation as “extremely dire.”

On Wednesday, regional army commander Gen. Avi Bluth visited the families and said the siege would be lifted. Hassan said the commander assured them that settlers would be evacuated, but noted that no concrete action had yet occurred. Soldiers removed the tent but left bedding and other belongings, and after brief clashes with the settlers they withdrew. The settlers remained in front of the house, preventing the family from leaving.

An Israeli military spokesperson said commanders were “gravely concerned” about the settlers’ actions and warned that soldiers who supported them could face disciplinary measures, though no timeline for ending the siege was provided. Later that evening, IDF chief of staff Eyal Zamir ordered a battalion of infantry reservists to return from leave to reinforce troops in the West Bank, adding that additional soldiers would stay on standby.

The military said it was working with police to bring “those responsible for the disturbances to justice.” Human-rights group B’Tselem noted that the incident reflects a broader pattern of settler violence and displacement in the occupied West Bank.