Israeli settlers have kept the Abu Ridi and Hassan families confined inside two homes in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra since Sunday, the families said, alleging their water and power were cut and food supplies dwindled. Rights groups and humanitarian organisations urged Israeli authorities to act. Siege after road blockedPalestinian security footage shared by the families showed settlers tearing down a wall outside the Abu Ridi home on Sunday evening and using stones to obstruct the road. The families said seven people, including two young girls, were left unable to leave their properties while other Palestinians also could not reach the affected area. The households are located in Area B, where Palestinians have civil authority but Israel controls security. The families said they posted appeals for help after power and water were unavailable and that they were isolated. Claims of attempts to force entryQusay Abu Ridi said on Facebook that the situation had become critical because the family was “completely isolated”. Aysha Hassan, speaking to Reuters, said settlers tried to break a gate and began throwing stones while insulting and cursing at the family. Hassan said her household was “dying of fear” and “extremely terrified”. Soldiers withdraw from outpost amid clashesOn Wednesday, Israeli security forces were reported to have pulled back from the Jewish settler outpost in Qusra following clashes with an extremist settler crowd. About a dozen settlers were said to remain at the site. After the families first reported the incident to the Israeli army, the initial soldiers filmed praying with the settlers, according to footage posted by the homeowners. The settlers’ wider goal was not immediately clarified, but the reported objective has previously been to empty the area of Palestinian residents, and settlers have in the past forced Palestinians out and seized property. Access blocked for journalists and residentsIsraeli settlers blocked Haaretz reporters from reaching the Palestinian properties on Monday, the newspaper said. The reporters said Israeli soldiers at the scene refused to help when their car was prevented from moving for two hours, telling them it was a closed military zone even though the restriction was not enforced on the settlers. On Tuesday, the Israeli human rights group Yesh Din asked the head of Israel’s Central Command to protect the besieged residents, evacuate the outpost and hold settlers accountable. Late on Tuesday, a Palestinian ambulance was allowed to reach the families, bringing food and taking one child for medical treatment. IDF condemns outpost; UN warns of ‘breaking point’As events unfolded, the Israel Defence Forces said it condemned the establishment of a new outpost, calling entry into Palestinian homes and taking them “illegal, reprehensible, and unacceptable”. The IDF said border police evacuated a tent used by settlers and were working to remove civilians staying there, adding that the incident was ongoing. It also said disciplinary steps would be taken against documented personnel. Early on Wednesday, Maj Gen Avi Bluth and other senior officers arrived and met residents, describing “grave concern”. The Palestinian village mayor, Abdel Azim Wadi, told the BBC residents had observed a sustained pattern of targeting Qusra. He cited last month’s arson attack on a mosque accompanied by Hebrew graffiti nearby. The siege comes amid a broader escalation. The UN’s Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Ramiz Alakbarov, told the Security Council on Tuesday that settler violence had reached “unprecedented levels” and that the West Bank was “at breaking point”. UN figures cited said 76 Palestinians, including 18 children, have been killed in the West Bank this year by Israeli forces or settlers. It also cited the killing of three Israelis in clashes with Palestinians and an alleged ramming attack by a Palestinian. The UN said 127 Palestinian communities experienced full or partial displacement since January 2023, including 47 entirely displaced, affecting more than 6,390 people. It added that in 2026, about 3,800 Palestinians—nearly half children—have been displaced due to settler violence, demolitions and evictions. Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, rejected the idea that settlements are an obstacle to peace, saying they would remain and expand, and told the Security Council that Israel would not “go anywhere”. Join the discussion? 13 August 2026
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