About a dozen Palestinian households in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra were ordered by the Israeli military to vacate their properties during an operation aimed at removing Israeli settlers. The settlers had besieged residents in three homes since Sunday, cutting off their water and electricity supplies.

Qusra Mayor Abdel Azim Wadi stated that the village had been declared a closed military zone, with Israeli forces using several vacated Palestinian houses as barracks. The Israeli military maintained that the operation was intended "to protect the residents."

Israeli spokesman David Mencer described the settlers' actions as "deplorable" and "unacceptable," adding, "The Israeli army is acting against it, and we are investigating it and we will arrest those responsible and we will prosecute them."

Evacuations and Military Measures

Of the three besieged properties belonging to the Abu Ridi and Hassan families, residents of two homes were ordered to leave on Thursday and relocated to the third house. Elsewhere in Qusra, residents of 11 other homes received similar orders from the military.

Qaher Odeh, a local resident, reported that more than 20 soldiers entered his home in the morning and later ordered him and his brother to leave because the house was situated in a military post. Following their departure, Israeli forces sealed off the entire area.

Clashes and International Reactions

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported dismantling two illegal outposts, detaining one Israeli, and confiscating equipment on the outskirts of Qusra and Jalud, near Nablus. Earlier attempts by security forces to remove the settlers on Wednesday involved the use of tear gas and stun grenades during confrontations with a large settler group.

US Ambassador Mike Huckabee condemned the harassment of the Qusra families on social media platform X, calling it "a horrific act of terror" and stating there is "no excuse for such thuggish behavior."

Key Statistics and Incidents

• Casualties: According to UN figures, 76 Palestinians, including 18 children, have been killed in the West Bank this year by Israeli forces or settlers. Three Israelis, including one civilian, were killed in confrontations and an alleged ramming attack.
• Displacement Data: Since January 2023, 127 Palestinian communities in the West Bank have experienced full or partial displacement, affecting over 6,390 Palestinians. In 2026, approximately 3,800 Palestinians, nearly half of them children, have been displaced due to settler violence, demolitions, and evictions.
• Escalations: A recent attack on the village of Tal resulted in six deaths—four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers. In July, settlers occupied a home in the nearby village of Jalud after a two-week siege.

At a United Nations meeting, Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, dismissed assertions that settlements impede peace, stating that Israel holds biblical, historic, and legal rights to the land and asserting that settlements will continue to grow.