Israeli forces remove settlers as Palestinian families face fresh displacement
Families forced from homes
About a dozen Palestinian households in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra have been ordered to leave their homes during an Israeli military operation aimed at removing Israeli settlers from the area.
The move follows several days of tension in which Israeli settlers reportedly surrounded three Palestinian homes, cutting off electricity and water supplies and leaving families isolated.
Residents of two of the three affected homes, belonging to the Abu Ridi and Hassan families, were ordered to leave on Thursday. They later moved into the third house, according to the BBC.
Village declared closed military zone
Qusra Mayor Abdel Azim Wadi said the village had been declared a closed military zone by Israeli forces. He also said some Palestinian homes that residents were forced to leave were being used by Israeli soldiers as temporary barracks.
The Israeli military said the measures were intended to protect residents while its forces dealt with the illegal settler outposts.
An Israeli government spokesman, David Mencer, described the settlers’ actions as “deplorable” and “unacceptable”, saying authorities would investigate the incidents and arrest and prosecute those responsible.
Other residents also ordered out
The military operation has affected more than just the families who were initially surrounded.
Residents of 11 other Palestinian homes in Qusra were also reportedly instructed to leave their properties.
Videos shared from the area showed a large security presence, including numerous Israeli military vehicles and a bulldozer. Later footage showed a long line of Israeli security forces positioned along a road leading into the village.
The Israel Defense Forces said they had dismantled two illegal settler outposts in the Qusra and Jalud areas near Nablus.
The IDF also said one Israeli had been detained and equipment confiscated during the operation.
Resident describes frightening raid
One of the Palestinians ordered to leave, Qaher Odeh, said soldiers entered his home early on Thursday morning.
Odeh told the BBC that more than 20 soldiers, possibly as many as 30, entered the property after breaking down the door and ordering him and his brother to open up.
He said he was still struggling to process what he had witnessed.
Rising settler violence
The latest events come amid growing concern over violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
Rights groups and Palestinian officials have accused settlers of increasingly targeting Palestinian communities and attempting to force residents from their land.
Settler expansion has accelerated under Israel’s current government, while violence against Palestinians has also risen sharply.
Under international law, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal.
Wider tensions continue
The situation in Qusra highlights the increasingly difficult security and political conditions facing Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
While Israeli authorities say their forces are acting to remove illegal outposts and protect residents, Palestinians affected by the military operation say they are the ones being displaced from their homes.
The latest developments are likely to add to international concern over the future of Palestinian communities in the West Bank and the continuing expansion of Israeli settlements.
