Palestinian families have been forced from their homes in the occupied West Bank as Israeli forces moved to dismantle settler outposts following days of escalating tensions. About a dozen households in Qusra were ordered to leave, while three Palestinian homes had been besieged by settlers with water and electricity cut off. Families driven out as troops take over homes Residents of two of the three besieged properties said they were ordered out on Thursday and moved into the remaining house. Elsewhere, residents of 11 other homes were also told to leave as the Israeli military declared the area a closed military zone. Qusra Mayor Abdel Azim Wadi said troops were using some vacated Palestinian properties as barracks. The IDF said the operation was intended to “protect the residents” and that two illegal settler outposts had been dismantled. Settler siege sparks fresh confrontation The crisis began on Sunday when settlers blocked access to the families’ homes and cut their water and electricity. One resident said soldiers later entered his house, before ordering him and his brother to leave as the area was sealed off. The operation followed clashes between Israeli security forces and a larger crowd of settlers. Video showed troops using tear gas and stun grenades, while officials said one Israeli was detained and equipment confiscated. Israel vows arrests after intimidation Israeli government spokesman David Mencer described the settlers’ actions as “deplorable” and “unacceptable”, promising arrests and prosecutions. US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, a longstanding supporter of Israeli settlements, called the intimidation of the Qusra families a “horrific act of terror”. The episode has also raised questions over the conduct of Israeli forces after soldiers were filmed praying with settlers when the families first sought help. The military said disciplinary action would follow. Qusra becomes a symbol of rising violence Residents say Qusra has faced sustained targeting, including the burning of a newly completed mosque last month. In nearby Jalud, settlers surrounded a Palestinian home for more than two weeks in July before its owners fled and settlers took control. UN figures show the wider crisis is intensifying, with about 3,800 Palestinians displaced in the West Bank this year through settler violence, demolitions and evictions. The Qusra confrontation now risks becoming another flashpoint in a rapidly worsening struggle over Palestinian land and Israeli settlement expansion. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj4kppdk2qwo
