Israeli soldiers observe Palestinians during a raid in the town of Qusra in the West Bank in Israel Thursday. The Israeli army entered Qusra following days of a settler siege on Palestinian homes and declared the area a closed military zone to dismantle the illegal settler outpost. Photo by Alaa Badarneh/EPA
Aug. 13 (UPI) — The Israeli military ordered Palestinians to evacuate 15 homes in the West Bank village of Qusra in a move to clear Israeli illegal outposts in the area.
The military rescinded the order to evacuate after it became public in the media. The settlers have been in the Palestinian homes since Sunday. It was not immediately made clear why the military needed to remove the Palestinians to get the settlers out of the area.
Some Palestinians were able to return to their homes, but one of the two families told The Times of Israel that they still can’t get to their house.
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee called the Israeli settlers “terrorists” and said the military went to the area because of his request.
“Actions by those who carried out this horrific act of terror meant to intimidate and harass this family are disgusting. No excuse for such thuggish behavior,” Huckabee posted on X.
The military said troops were in Qusra since Thursday morning and are there “to protect the residents and maintain security in the area.”
A similar operation on Wednesday failed.
Residents said the military destroyed all the structures erected by settlers. But Palestinian residents said they’re still too afraid to leave their homes.
Qusay Abu Ridi, a trapped Palestinian, told the BBC that his house had been attacked again overnight and that a few settlers were still hiding from the military.
His brother, who owns the property, is a Palestinian-American businessman who complained to the U.S. embassy.
The siege in Qusra started Sunday when settlers blocked the road to the Palestinian families’ gates and cut off their electricity and water, the BBC reported. The first Israeli soldiers to arrive prayed with the settlers’ families. The Israeli military said they would face discipline for that later.
The Abu Ridi and Hassan families made appeals for help on social media.
The attacks happened in multiple Palestinian towns and villages, including Qusra, where a mosque was burned in late July. Footage from the scene showed graffiti left on the Al-Rahma Mosque in Hebrew reading “Benayahu’s revenge” and other messages.
The settlers have said their goal is to remove Palestinians from the area.
According to the United Nations, 76 Palestinians, including 18 children, have been killed in the West Bank this year by Israeli forces or settlers. Three Israelis have been killed.
Since January 2023, 127 Palestinian communities in the West Bank have been fully or partially displaced, affecting more than 6,390 Palestinians, the U.N. said.
