Activists attempt to deliver aid to Palestinians besieged by Israeli settlers in Qusra
In the West Bank village of Qusra, activists tried to bring water and food to two Palestinian families cut off from power and water since Sunday. The Israeli military denies blocking direct delivery to the homes.
Activists attempted to deliver water and food supplies to Palestinian households in the West Bank village of Qusra, where two families have been besieged for days after settlers blocked their gates and cut off power and water since Sunday.
Two residents said Israeli forces stopped the activists from handing the aid directly to them, forcing the supplies to be left outside. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) denied this, saying Qusra was a closed military zone that barred Israeli civilians, including the activists, from entering, but insisted they had not been prevented from transferring aid to the homes.
Tent removed, homes used by soldiers
On Friday, a number of settlers returned and set up a tent near the site, a day after being dispersed from the area; Israeli forces later removed it.
During Thursday's dispersal operation, around a dozen Palestinian households, including members of the Abu Ridi and Hassan families, were told to leave two of their three besieged homes. Qusra's mayor, Abdul Azim Wadi, told the BBC that Israeli forces were using some of the vacated houses as barracks. The military said its aim was to protect residents and that soldiers had been instructed to ensure Qusra's residents remained in their homes.
An Israeli spokesperson had earlier called the settlers' actions "deplorable" and "unacceptable," saying the government would investigate and arrest those responsible.
How the standoff began
The situation began on Sunday when settlers blocked access to the families' properties and cut their power and water. The first soldiers who arrived prayed alongside the settlers, an act the military said would be disciplined. A Wednesday attempt to remove the settlers led to clashes with a larger crowd, with security forces using tear gas and stun grenades.
It remains unclear what the settlers are seeking, though settlers have previously driven Palestinians from their homes and taken over properties; their stated goal is to clear the area of Palestinian residents. Settlements are illegal under international law, though the Israeli government has backed their rapid expansion.
The UN says that since January 2023, 127 Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank have been fully or partially displaced, affecting more than 6,390 people, and that around 3,800 Palestinians have been displaced in 2026 due to settler violence, demolitions and evictions — nearly half of them children.
