Israeli Settlers Besiege 15 Palestinians in Qusra as New West Bank Outposts Spread
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 18
Israeli Settlers Besiege 15 Palestinians in Qusra as New West Bank Outposts Spread
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Aug 18
Summary
15 Palestinians, including two children, have remained trapped for a second week in three Qusra homes after settlers cut off access to supplies, ambulances and movement, with soldiers later keeping the closure in place.
August 16 brought the same tactic to Beit Imrin, where settlers blocked a house for more than three hours before Israeli forces raided it, arrested all nine people inside and confiscated ambulance keys.
Israeli forces briefly detained one Israeli suspect while dismantling nearby settler structures, but soldiers then erected their own tent on the same spot; Katz also ordered a plan to shift civilian law enforcement to police.
Global criticism has widened, with the UN, France, Spain and the UK condemning the siege, the White House reportedly pressing Benjamin Netanyahu, and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee calling the settlers 'Israeli terrorists'.
Settlers also pitched a new outpost near Umm Safa on August 16, while demolitions continued elsewhere; Palestinian officials said Israeli authorities carried out 80 demolitions in July, hitting 165 structures.
If global sanctions target violent settlers, what happens when the state military actively converts besieged Palestinian homes into its own barracks?
When military forces seize civilian homes supposedly for protection, are they preventing violence or quietly executing a state-backed displacement campaign?
How does a nation outsource coercion to armed civilians while avoiding direct international accountability for the forced transfer of populations?