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The Israeli military said Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir ordered a battalion of infantry reservists back from leave to reinforce troops in the Qusra area following Wednesday’s clashes with settlers. Troops used tear gas and stun grenades in an attempt to clear an outpost established directly in front of Palestinian homes but withdrew without removing the group after settlers blocked roads and confronted forces. A nearby settler outpost was dismantled during the operation yet the main siege continued into its fourth day leaving families trapped without essential services.
Residents told Al Jazeera and The Guardian that the affected households include those of Yousef Hassan and the Abu Ridi family with security camera footage showing dozens of settlers surrounding the properties south of Nablus. Qusay Abu Ridi told the BBC his house faced another attack overnight with some settlers still hiding nearby. The families reported that water and electricity lines had been cut and food supplies were running low as the blockade persisted.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee described the settlers as “Israeli terrorists” in a post and stated that the embassy had requested their removal according to the BBC. No arrests were made despite the confrontations between troops and the settlers Reuters reported. The events unfolded after settlers blocked the road on Sunday and Israeli forces initially arrived on the scene.
UN OCHA data shows that the pace of settler attacks causing casualties or property damage reached an all-time high in 2026 averaging six incidents daily and surpassing 1,000 by mid-year across more than 230 communities. As of late July 18 Palestinians had been killed in settler-related violence exceeding the total recorded for all of 2025 the agency reported. More than 3,200 Palestinians have been displaced this year by such attacks and related demolitions an average of 17 people per day nearly double the rate of preceding years.
Qusra itself experienced a mosque fire last month while a separate escalation in nearby Tal village left six people dead four Palestinians and two Israelis the BBC reported. Israeli forces disciplined soldiers who were filmed praying with settlers on the first day of the road blockade. Witnesses said settlers attempted to break the gate to one home after troops pulled back from the area.
Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon stated that settlements will grow as Israel has rights to the land. The military said the extra deployment would strengthen order and operational control to prevent further incidents. Palestinian residents described the siege as part of a broader campaign to force them from their land.
