U.S. Ambassador condemns Israeli settler siege of Palestinian home in West Bank
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee labeled a settler-led siege of a Palestinian family’s house in Qusra as an act of terror, prompting Israeli forces to intervene and evacuate the residents.
The United States publicly denounced a recent siege of a Palestinian-American family’s home in the West Bank village of Qusra, where Israeli settlers blocked the only road, cut off water and electricity and surrounded the house for several days.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee described the settlers’ actions as an "act of terror" and said they were intended to intimidate and harass the family. The statement appears to have increased pressure on Israeli authorities, which subsequently deployed troops, used tear gas and announced disciplinary measures for any soldiers involved in the incident.
Security-camera footage showed dozens of settlers surrounding the home built by Qusai Ridi and his teenage son Ahmed. Residents of the village reported hearing stones and gunfire, and some families fled the area.
The Israeli Defense Forces later evacuated the Ridi family, reinforced the locality with an additional battalion and dismantled nearby outposts that are illegal under Israeli law.
The United Nations has reported a surge in settler-related attacks this year, citing more than 1,400 incidents across 260 communities, displacing thousands of Palestinians. Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have condemned vigilantism and pledged to curb settler violence, while also asserting that most residents of the West Bank are law-abiding.