Israeli troops took positions inside three Palestinian homes in Qusra on Thursday, days after Jewish settlers blocked access to the properties, pitched a tent outside, and cut electricity and water, trapping roughly 15 Palestinians including two children without basic supplies.
The Israeli military said troops were deployed to protect residents and told them to stay inside, and that soldiers would not operate in one home near where the settlers' tent was dismantled; residents accused settlers of damaging property, throwing stones and harassment throughout the siege.
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, a longtime settlement supporter, called the actions against the families criminal and said Israeli security forces had been asked to intervene; Loui Ridi, a Palestinian-American watching remotely from Ohio via security cameras, said the cameras were later removed and he fears for his family's safety.
The full dispatch is available from the source below.