Israeli Forces Move to Evict Settlers From Palestinian Homes in Qusra
Israeli forces began removing settlers who seized Palestinian homes in Qusra, West Bank, after families reported being trapped without essentials.
The Israeli military said on Wednesday that it was evacuating civilians who had illegally taken control of Palestinian homes and land in the Qusra and Jalud areas of the occupied West Bank. Security forces declared the area a closed military zone and removed a tent that had been set up near Palestinian residences, according to an army statement.
Video footage from the village shows groups of settlers dismantling a stone wall and piling rocks to block the approach to the house of Loui Ridi, an American-Palestinian. The footage also captures settlers seated on furniture placed outside homes, including a couch and mattress, as Israeli soldiers and vehicles arrived at the scene.
Speaking by phone from Ohio, Ridi said his 48-year-old brother and teenage nephew were inside the house, unable to leave without access to food or water. He described months of harassment that escalated sharply in recent days, with water and electricity cut off and stones thrown at the property, causing damage. Ridi added that at least one other house in the area was under similar siege and that calls to police had gone unanswered.
The military described the incident as ongoing, with forces remaining at the scene to manage the situation.