Israeli soldiers took up positions today inside Palestinian homes in the West Bank village of Kuszra, the mayor said, after settlers this week trapped Palestinian families inside their homes in a siege that, according to the Palestinians, is intended to forcibly displace them from their land.
The siege began over the weekend when Jewish settlers blocked the road leading to the three homes in the Palestinian village of Kuszra and set up a tent in front oftheir front yards, refusing to allow anyone to enter or leave. The settlers had earlier cut off the electricity and water supply.
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The mayor of Kusra, Abed Al-Ateem Wadi, stated that six houses in the village were evacuated and seized by Israeli soldiers, including the three besieged houses at the top of the hill, with the two families living there having gathered in one of the houses.
Reuters photos show several Israeli soldiers standing outside one of the houses. The soldiers informed the families that operations in Kushra could last until Sunday, village residents said.
In a statement, the army said that soldiers have been deployed in Kusra since this morning to protect residents and maintain security, and “have been instructed that the residents of Kousra are to remain in their homes.”
The army added that “soldiers will not conduct operations inside the home of the Palestinian family located near the site where the tent that was evacuated and dismantled had been set up.” At this time, it is unclear which of the three homes the army was referring to.
Earlier today, one day after soldiers used tear gas in an unsuccessful attempt to disperse the settlers, the army said it had sent additional soldiers to the area “to carry out defensive missions and patrols in the area to maintain security and protect the area.”
In a statement, the United Nations reported that some 15 Palestinians, including two children, have been “trapped inside their homes in a state of terror, unable to meet their basic needs and without access to water or electricity.”
A video released earlier this week shows several Israeli men in green military uniforms joining the settlers in morning prayers at the tent. The army said it is taking disciplinary action against members who may be involved.
The army is under increasing pressure to stop land grabs by settlers who are encouraged by the right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu, during whose tenure settlements in the occupied West Bank have been expanding rapidly.
The two families under siege in the area say they have no food or medicine and that the settlers are destroying their property, throwing stones at their homes and hurling insults at them.
“We call on government institutions and every free and honorable person to help us secure food and medicine,” said Kousai Abu Rida, a Palestinian who has been trapped in one of the houses, which belongs to his brother, who lives in Ohio and holds U.S. citizenship. He confirmed that the two families had gathered in one of the three houses.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Hakabi stated that the Israeli army and police “have gone there at our request to remove the Israeli terrorists who are doing this,” adding: “What they are doing in this family’s home is criminal.”
The Palestinians say that the Israeli military allows settlers to seize land and resources throughout the West Bank with impunity, including in areas where they hold Israeli-issued title deeds.
Incidents of land seizure by settlers are particularly common on the outskirts of villages, such as Kushra, which is located in an area under full Israeli security control.
In the West Bank, a region occupied by Israel during the 1967 war, approximately three million Palestinians and 500,000 settlers reside. There are approximately 146 settlements in the West Bank, as well as 390 smaller outposts, according to the Israeli organization Peace Now.
