Dozens of masked Israeli settler militants launched an assault on residences near the occupied West Bank village of Qusra on Saturday, marking the first significant attack since a previous siege by settlers prompted international outrage earlier this month.
During the incident, the settlers encircled a Palestinian home, hurling stones while seven Palestinians were trapped inside, as reported by witnesses to Reuters. Saddam Oday, one of the trapped individuals, stated that the Israeli military discharged tear gas into the house, detained the occupants while releasing him. Oday mentioned that the military did not detain any of the settlers and allowed them to depart.
Luay Bayrudi, the homeowner, recounted that upon the military’s arrival, soldiers handcuffed, blindfolded, and assaulted those inside before eventually freeing them. The Israeli military issued a statement asserting that troops and border police forces intervened to remove “rioters” and safeguard the residents within the house.
Residents reported recurrent incursions, with Bayrudi describing a situation where he and six others were trapped inside the home for over an hour after settlers pelted stones following a distress call to the Israeli military. He displayed his bandaged arm, injured by a stone during the attack. Oday, a medic, disclosed that four trapped individuals suffered tear gas injuries, while two were hurt by stones thrown by the settlers.
The assault occurred in close proximity to three homes that came under siege this month, prompting international condemnation and a significant Israeli military deployment that effectively confined residents to their homes. Loui Ridi, a Palestinian American residing in one of the besieged homes, reported witnessing the Saturday attack from his residence.
Ridi highlighted the frequent incursions of Israeli settlers in the vicinity despite a heavy military presence. Rights groups have raised concerns over escalating settler presence near Palestinian villages like Qusra, seen as part of a broader effort to expand settlements and seize Palestinian land.
The surge in settler violence in the occupied West Bank has been attributed to an emboldened settler community, amid a substantial settlement expansion overseen by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration. The Israeli military pledged to maintain operations in Qusra and neighboring areas to prevent further disturbances and restore order.
The settlements are considered illegal by the United Nations and most countries under international law governing military occupations, although Israel disputes this classification, viewing the territories as disputed rather than occupied.