International condemnation of Israel is mounting as settlers lay siege to Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra for a fifth day and reports mount that Israel is planning a military operation in the village.
Israel's army reportedly began evicting Palestinians in the area, while letting the attacking settlers stay, despite expressing “grave concern” over their actions on Wednesday.
About 20 Palestinians in Qusra were evicted by the military on Thursday morning, Israeli outlet Haaretz reported. Families in the besieged homes who were handed eviction orders are refusing to leave, as the army reportedly plans a three-day operation in the area. The military did not immediately confirm the reports.
The army said it dismantled two nearby settler outposts overnight, although settlers remain in the area. The military had previously confiscated some settler belongings outside homes in Qusra, but left other equipment and eventually withdrew. Soldiers were also filmed praying with the attacking settlers.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called the attacking settlers “Israeli terrorists” but dismissed a report that the White House was asking Israel for clarity on how the siege has been allowed to happen.
“Actions by those who carried out this horrific act of terror meant to intimidate and harass this family are disgusting. No excuse for such thuggish behaviour,” Mr Huckabee added.
The Israeli military said on Wednesday that an “incident” at a house in Qusra was continuing and that commanders “expressed their grave concern over the actions carried out by Israeli civilians against the Palestinian family”.
“It was further decided that disciplinary action would be taken against the security personnel involved, who were documented at the site several days ago,” the military statement said.
Israeli journalist Doron Kadosh reported that the operation in Qusra intended to remove Palestinians and seize homes.
“This is a highly unusual move that the [military] is about to carry out amid widespread international criticism, including from the US administration over the [military's] failure in recent days to protect the Palestinians in the village,” Mr Kadosh said in a post on X.
In July, settlers forced a Palestinian family out of their home in the village of Jalud, which the settlers continue to occupy.
On Thursday, settlers also began returning Ganim in the northern West Bank, one of four settlements in the area that was evacuated as part of the 2005 Disengagement Law, which also emptied all settlements in Gaza.
The return was announced by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party. The law was changed in 2023, paving the way for Israelis to return to the West Bank settlements.
New polling has found that 38 per cent of Jewish Israelis support annexing the West Bank. The poll, carried out by the Jewish People Policy Institute, also found that 22 per cent of Jewish Israelis want West Bank Palestinians to be relocated after annexation.
