Israeli settlers have besieged the Abu Ridi and Hassan families in the West Bank village of Qusra since Sunday, cutting water, power and food supplies to seven people, including two young girls. Security camera footage shows settlers tearing down a wall and using the stones to block the road; the first soldiers to respond were filmed praying alongside the settlers rather than intervening.
Israeli journalists from Haaretz were themselves blocked from reaching the site on Monday, told by soldiers the area was a closed military zone — an order apparently not enforced against the settlers doing the blocking. A Palestinian ambulance was finally allowed through Tuesday night, delivering food and evacuating one child for medical treatment.
By Wednesday, Israeli forces reportedly withdrew from the outpost following clashes with a crowd of extremist settlers, with about a dozen settlers said to remain; senior military officers voiced 'grave concern' after meeting residents, and the IDF says disciplinary action will follow. The UN told the Security Council the West Bank is 'at breaking point,' citing 76 Palestinians killed this year and roughly 3,800 displaced in 2026 by settler violence, demolitions and evictions, while Israel's UN ambassador told the Council settlements 'are not going anywhere.'
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