International organizations have condemned a prolonged blockade of Palestinian residences in the West Bank village of Qusra. The UN human rights office and Palestinian Foreign Ministry issued statements Thursday characterizing the Israeli settler siege as criminal and inhumane. The blockade, now in its fifth consecutive night, has trapped three families containing 15 individuals, including two children, in their homes with no access to water or electricity since Sunday.
The UN agency warned that the families face imminent forced displacement if the situation continues. Officials stated that the settlers’ actions, allegedly enabled or tolerated by Israeli authorities, aim to pressure Palestinians into abandoning their properties and land. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry accused settlers of conducting systematic violence it described as terrorism, while characterizing the Israeli government as using settlers as instruments to advance displacement and territorial expansion policies in occupied Palestinian territory.
Local residents expressed skepticism about official responses to the crisis. Qusra’s mayor claimed Israeli military personnel have been cooperating with settlers rather than enforcing order. One resident noted that military intervention against just 20 settlers could be resolved quickly if authorities applied the same enforcement used against Palestinians. Reports indicate the siege represents part of broader escalating violence across the West Bank, with additional incidents involving settler attacks, home demolition orders, and detentions reported Thursday in multiple locations.
Originally reported by Aljazeera →
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