Dozens of masked Israeli settler militants launched an assault on residences near the West Bank village of Qusra on Saturday, marking a significant attack following a previous siege by settlers that sparked global outrage. Witnesses reported that the settlers besieged a Palestinian home, pelting it with stones while trapping seven Palestinians inside.
Saddam Oday, one of the trapped individuals, recounted that the Israeli military discharged tear gas into the house, detaining the residents except for him. He mentioned that the military released him but did not apprehend any of the settlers or prevent their departure.
The homeowner, Luay Bayrudi, revealed that upon the military’s arrival, soldiers handcuffed, blindfolded, and physically assaulted those inside before eventually releasing them. The Israeli military stated that their troops and border police intervened to disperse “rioters” and safeguard the occupants of the house.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his initial public statement on the matter, condemned the violence in Qusra, attributing it to a “handful of rioters.” He expressed strong disapproval of the criminal acts occurring in Qusra and the neighboring village of Jalud.
Residents reported frequent incursions, with Bayrudi mentioning that he and six others were trapped in the house for over an hour while enduring a barrage of stones hurled by settlers. He displayed a bandaged arm, injured during the attack, to a Reuters journalist.
The assault transpired near three homes that had previously been besieged by settlers, prompting widespread condemnation and a substantial Israeli military presence that effectively restricted the residents within their homes.
Settler violence in the region has been escalating, with rights groups asserting that the encroachment of settlers into Palestinian territories aims to seize more land, impeding Palestinian statehood aspirations. The Israeli government, under Netanyahu’s administration, has overseen a substantial expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military pledged to maintain operations in Qusra and adjacent areas to prevent further disturbances and restore order. Despite international consensus labeling the settlements as illegal within the context of military occupations, Israel contests this viewpoint, considering the territories disputed rather than occupied.
