U.S. Ambassador Condemns Settler Siege of Palestinian-American Home in West Bank

The U.S. ambassador to Israel publicly condemned a siege by Israeli settlers of a home belonging to Palestinian-American Loui Ridi in the West Bank village of Qusra. In a post on X, the ambassador described the incident as a “horrific act of terror” and said the embassy was working with Israeli military and police to address the situation.

The siege began on Sunday when dozens of settlers surrounded three houses, threw stones, attempted to dismantle a nearby stone wall and blocked residents from leaving, according to local officials and Ridi’s brother, Qusai Abu Rida. The family reported shortages of food and water. Israeli troops later moved the occupants to another house, though the military did not confirm the relocation.

Israeli forces said they had dismantled two illegal outposts on the outskirts of Qusra and detained one Israeli settler. Additional soldiers were deployed to the area, about 16 km from Nablus, to conduct defensive missions and patrols. Qusra’s mayor, Abdel Azim Wadi, said Israeli forces evacuated seven homes to establish positions, but many settlers remained elsewhere in the village.

The Israeli military labeled the siege “illegal, reprehensible, and unacceptable” and declared the area a closed military zone. Despite the declaration, settlers returned on Wednesday and blocked the road with rocks.

Ridi, speaking from Ohio, said his brother and nephew had been without fresh food or water for several days and that the house had been targeted for months, with water and electricity cut and stones thrown at the property. He likened their situation to being “prisoners in our own house.”

The incident occurs amid a broader rise in settler violence in the northern West Bank, an area already marked by frequent clashes and recent attacks, including a mosque fire and the killing of an Israeli settler that sparked further unrest.