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 incident following a previous siege by settlers that garnered international attention. Witnesses reported that the settlers encircled a Palestinian home, pelting it with stones while seven occupants were trapped inside.
Saddam Oday, one of the trapped individuals, recounted that Israeli military personnel fired tear gas into the house, detained the residents, but released him. He noted that the military failed to apprehend any of the settlers, allowing them to depart freely.
The homeowner, Luay Bayrudi, revealed that upon the military’s arrival, soldiers handcuffed, blindfolded, and assaulted those within the house before eventually letting them go. The Israeli military stated that troops and border police intervened to disperse the “rioters” and safeguard the house’s inhabitants.
Residents reported recurrent incursions, with Bayrudi mentioning that after seeking assistance from the Israeli military, he and six others remained trapped in the house for over an hour amidst stone-throwing by the settlers. Visible injuries, including bandaged arms, were shown to reporters, with Oday, a medic, confirming injuries sustained by tear gas and stone projectiles during the ordeal.
The attack occurred in close proximity to three homes previously besieged by settlers, prompting widespread condemnation and a substantial Israeli military presence that residents claim has restricted their movements. Loui Ridi, a Palestinian American whose home was among those sequestered earlier, observed the recent assault from his residence.
Ridi highlighted frequent incursions by Israeli settlers in the vicinity, despite heightened military presence. Rights groups assert that the escalating settler presence near Palestinian villages aims to annex more land, encroaching on territories earmarked for a potential Palestinian state. Settler violence in the occupied West Bank has surged, partly attributed to the Israeli government’s settlement expansion efforts overseen by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Israeli military pledged continued operations in Qusra and neighboring Jalud to maintain order and prevent further disturbances. The settlements are deemed illegal by the United Nations and most nations under international law governing military occupations, a stance rejected by Israel, which views the region as disputed rather than occupied.
