Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank villages of Qusra and Jalud, calling those responsible a “handful of rioters” after dozens of masked settlers attacked Palestinian homes.
“I strongly condemn the criminal acts of violence committed in the villages of Qusra and Jalud by a handful of rioters who are violating the law," Mr Netanyahu said in a statement posted on X.
The Israeli leader said the attacks were causing "grave injustice to the law-abiding Jewish community, interfering with the Israeli military operations and "harming Israel's standing in the world”.
The latest attack in Qusra, near Nablus, on Saturday centred on a Palestinian home where seven people were trapped as settlers surrounded the property and threw stones, Reuters reported, citing witnesses.
Homeowner Luay Bayruti said Israeli soldiers arrived after he called for help, then handcuffed, blindfolded and beat those inside before releasing them. A medic said soldiers also fired tear gas into the home.
The Israeli military said troops and border police arrived to remove “rioters” and protect residents inside the house. It did not immediately respond to questions about the alleged treatment of the Palestinians.
Settler attacks
The attack occurred only a few hundred yards from three Palestinian homes that settlers besieged earlier this month, trapping about 15 residents inside, including children. The siege drew international condemnation and prompted a major Israeli military deployment.
Residents said settlers had restricted the families’ movement and access to supplies during the siege. They also reported continued settler encroachments despite the heavy Israeli military presence around the homes.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also condemned the violence, calling it a “crossing of a red line” and saying it represented another episode that had become “a stain on Israel’s face”.
“I strongly condemn the severe violent events in Qusra. This is a crossing of a red line by lawbreakers who act in complete opposition to the laws and values of the State of Israel," Mr Herzog said in a statement.
"It is another case in a sequence of events that constitute a stain on Israel's face and require firm and decisive action," he said.
"The government, security forces, judicial and enforcement systems must act with all tools and in full coordination to uproot this reprehensible phenomenon from the root and to bring the rioters to justice,” Mr Herzog added.
Mr Netanyahu said security forces acted quickly, confiscating three vehicles and ending the latest incident within a short time. He said the military, Shin Bet and police were conducting an intensive investigation.
The Israeli leader said the violence damaged Israel’s international standing and ordered authorities to arrest those responsible. His government has previously described settler violence as the work of a “fringe minority”.
Rights groups dispute that characterisation, saying settler attacks have increased alongside settlement expansion. A UN inquiry in June said Israeli authorities were directly involved in attacks that killed, injured and displaced Palestinians.
