Palestinian families besieged as West Bank violence surges

Palestinians living in Qusra shared this video showing settlers and members of the Israeli military

Two Palestinian families have been trapped inside their homes in the occupied West Bank since Sunday, with water and electricity cut off and food supplies running dangerously low. The siege in Qusra, near Nablus, has sparked calls for Israeli authorities to intervene as settler violence reaches what a senior UN official called a breaking point.

Settlers surround homes as families plead for help

Security camera footage appears to show settlers tearing down a wall outside the Abu Ridi family's home and using the rubble to block the road. Seven people, including two young girls, were left unable to leave while others were prevented from reaching them.

Qusay Abu Ridi said his family was "completely isolated" and simply wanted to live safely on their own land. Aysha Hassan, whose family was also targeted, said settlers tried to break through their gate and threw stones while shouting abuse.

Israeli forces clash with settlers at the outpost

The crisis escalated on Wednesday when Israeli security forces confronted a large crowd of settlers at the newly established outpost. Tear gas and stun grenades were used, while Border Police reportedly removed a tent and began evacuating civilians from the site.

The Israeli military condemned the seizure of Palestinian homes as "illegal, reprehensible, and unacceptable". It also said disciplinary action would be taken against security personnel filmed praying with settlers after the families first sought military assistance.

UN warns West Bank is at breaking point

The confrontation comes amid a wider surge in violence. UN figures cited at the Security Council say 76 Palestinians, including 18 children, have been killed in the West Bank this year by Israeli forces or settlers, while thousands have been displaced through violence, demolitions and evictions.

Israel's UN ambassador Danny Danon rejected the idea that settlements threaten peace, saying they would remain and expand because of what he described as Israel's biblical, historic and legal rights.

"We are not going anywhere," he told the Security Council, underscoring the widening gulf as pressure mounts over settler expansion and Palestinian displacement.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0npjkqrleo