Palestinian houses besieged by settlers and soldiers in Qusra

On August 9, Israeli settler gangs from the nearby outpost surrounded three Palestinian family's homes on the outskirts of Qusra, (Ras Al Ain hamlet) south of Nablus, in Area B of the occupied West Bank, preventing the family from entering or leaving.

The targeted houses were a compound of three homes, behind walls and security gates, including the two-story home of Yousef Hassan, a Palestinian-American, and his family, where they have lived for five years. The people trapped inside were Yousef Hassan, his wife, their two young daughters (aged 2 and 4), his mother, brother, sister, and three neighbors. Two other Palestinian family in the area was also under siege. These houses had been targeted for months, on a daily basis, as the independent journalist Nathaniel Jasper reported six weeks before. The soldiers, when called, contributed to harassing residents by searching or arresting them instead of the perpetrators. Settlers engaged in nightly stone-throwing, obscene language, shouting, and attempts to break into the house. Hassan noted that while the harassment had gone on for seven months, it had escalated sharply in recent days.

This group of settlers is the one that besieged the Tabasi house in Jalud, on the other side of the mountain, and finally, with the help of the army, seized it and has continued to occupy it until now.

Timeline:

On Sunday, August 9, the Israeli settlers set up a makeshift tent/structure (a "sukkah") directly outside the entrance of Hassan's home, under the mother outpost of Tel Talpiot, on the nearby mountain, an illegal hamlet several times evacuated and destroyed by the Israeli army and several times rebuilt. Settlers cut off the electricity lines and water supply to the property, while Hassan managed to maintain limited device power using a solar panel. They blocked the road with rocks and prevented the family from reaching essentials such as food and clean water. They attempted to break into the houses and threw stones towards the windows.

The IDF enforced a Closed Military Zone order, originally issued in June, officially to protect the family but, on the ground, to block journalists and solidarity activists. While the order, on paper, prohibits anyone except Palestinian residents from entering the area, in practice, the settlers were permitted to move freely and remain at the site.

On Sunday, spatial defense soldiers arriving at the scene were filmed praying with the settlers, taking photos at the encampment, and completing a quorum (minyan) for evening prayers at the outpost.

On Monday, August 10, the family's food supplies were running low, and Hassan's two-year-old daughter developed a high fever and began vomiting. Activists, including AndreyX and Adele Shoko, tried to reach the house to provide food and medicine, but were stopped by the soldiers posted in the zone. When they came back in the evening with an ambulance in order to transfer the toddler and her mother to hospital and to bring food to the residents, they were violently assaulted by settlers on quads and in SUVs. This episode of terror ended with the arrest of Andrey by the army.

The Haaretz team, led by Matan Golan, trying to report on the event, was assaulted by settlers and prevented from reaching the house.

On Tuesday, Augustus 11, the mother and her toddler were finally evacuated by ambulance. The grandfather, who was outside the house when the siege began, stayed for days in his car to watch over his family.

Human rights organizations, including Breaking the Silence, state that the army's enforcement of military zones and protection of settlers is crucial for maintaining the siege and facilitating the forced displacement of Palestinians.

The siege continues. Settlers maintain their presence despite the involvement of smeIsraeli security forces. Though, the Central Command chief, Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, visits or becomes directly involved and promises that the settlers will be removed, but the siege is not effectively ended.

On August 12, Israeli army began a major military deployment.The Israeli army and Border Police enter Qusra in force. All the village, and not only the 3 targeted houses is declared a closed military zone. Senior officers, including Avi Bluth, arrive, ostensibly to remove a settler outpost established near the besieged homes on Ras al-Ain Mountain. The army dismantles the tent of the settler structure/outpost, but settlers continue to gather and, according to reporting, return. Instead of simply removing the settlers and ending the siege, Israeli forces take control of numerous Palestinian homes including homes of the besieged families. At least 16 Palestinian families of Qusra are ordered to evacuate or are forced out.

Troop Redeployment: On Wednesday evening, IDF Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir met with senior commanders and ordered an infantry reserve battalion back from leave to reinforce West Bank troops and maintain operational control.

On August 13, 2026, forced evacuations and international outrage Israeli forces forcibly remove two Palestinian families from their homes, despite earlier promises to end the settler siege. Other Palestinian homes remain occupied by soldiers. Reports describe damage and desecration of a Quran inside some homes after the military takeover. The settlers' siege of the three original homes continues.

U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee publicly condemns the attackers, calling the episode a “horrific act of terror” and referring to the perpetrators as “Israeli terrorists”—an unusually strong statement from him. The Israeli military says it is acting to protect residents and remove the settlers, but the events on the ground expose its inability or unwillingness to permanently clear them.

For its part, the Israeli army announced, on Thursday, that its forces dismantled two sites set up by settlers on the outskirts of Qusra and the neighboring village of Jalud, confiscated equipment and arrested an Israeli, claiming that the deployment of forces in the area aims to "maintain security".

But the United Nations Human Rights Office said that, until Thursday, the settlers remained in the vicinity of the homes, despite the dismantling of the tent they had set up between them.

On Augustus 14, 2026, sixth day: the siege was still not over. Around 15 Palestinians remained trapped in three homes, with settlers still restricting access. The army withdrew from most of the Palestinian homes it had occupied, but the settler siege continued. About 80 Israeli activists, including members of the "Rabbis for Human Rights" organization, Jonathan Pollack and Houria Al-Saadi, attempted to bring food and supplies face military blockade and are prevented from directly reaching the besieged families; supplies have to be transferred under restricted conditions.M.K. Ofer Cassif managed to rach the house, with his Parelmentary immunity, and to bring food and water t the residents.

The mayor of Qusra describes the repeated military removal of the nearby settler outpost as “just a performance”, noting that the Ras al-Ain outpost had reportedly been evacuated nine times in seven months, only for settlers to return.

The UN human rights office and the Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemn the siege. The White House also pressures Israel to publicly condemn the settlers.

On Augustus 15, 2026, the situation remains unresolved. The immediate military operation had been scaled back and many of the houses occupied by soldiers had been vacated.. The families remained fearful that the objective was to force them to abandon their homes, allowing settlers to take control of the properties afterward.

Official Military Responses & Actions:

On Wednesday morning, Gen. Avi Bluth, the IDF regional commander, visited the site and promised Hassan that the settlers would be evacuated. A few reserve soldiers removed the settlers' tent but left their bedding and personal items. After clashes with settlers, troops withdrew, leaving the settlers at the site.

IDF Spokesperson Statements on August 10:

The IDF stated that commanders were "gravely concerned" about settler actions and that soldiers who supported them faced disciplinary action. It confirmed that the military was working with police to bring those responsible to justice, though no clear timeline was provided for lifting the siege.

Troop Redeployment:

On Wednesday evening, IDF Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir met with senior commanders and ordered an infantry reserve battalion back from leave to reinforce West Bank troops and maintain operational control.

Historical Violence in Qusra:

The current siege is taking place meters away from where 28-year-old Amir Moatasem Odeh was killed by a settler from the same violent outpost in March, and his father was stabbed. No arrests have been made for the attack, although six months of house arrest were ordered for one of the outpost's residents in connection with this murder.

Thread by Breaking the Silence on Augustus 11

"A Palestinian family is besieged by the IDF and settler terrorists in Qusra, in the West Bank. No one is allowed in or out: no food, no ambulances, no journalists. This is a new method for carrying out the same policy: forcing Palestinians off their land. Here’s how it works🧵

The Hassan family, including two daughters aged two and four, lives in the home. After 7 months of harassment, settlers erected a hut outside the house two days ago and blocked anyone from entering or leaving. They also cut the electricity and tried to break in.

What are the soldiers doing? They’re in Qusra, too, praying with the perpetrators. The IDF’s involvement is not limited to hanging around with the criminals at the literal scene of their crime. The army’s involvement is crucial for maintaining the siege.

The army’s there for settlers’ protection, and no less important, to make sure journalists, solidarity activists, and ambulances can’t reach the family. For this purpose, the IDF is exploiting a closed military zone order it issued in June. On paper, the order bars anyone but the Palestinian residents from entering the area. In practice, violent settlers are more than welcome, while an ambulance trying to treat Hassan’s daughter is turned away. The idea is simple: scare the family out, then the settlers will take over the house.

In July, that’s what they did in Jalud. Back then, settlers, too, besieged a family for two weeks while the IDF issued a closed military zone to keep journalists out. Eventually, the family fled, and the settlers took over. To facilitate ethnic cleansing, the army uses Closed Military Zone orders a lot. Amid terror attacks, it systematically uses them to force solidarity and protective-presence activists out while allowing terrorists into Palestinian villages or Palestinian olive groves during harvest season.

Violent settlers may do the “dirty work” of daily terror against Palestinian men, women, and children, but neither this terror nor ethnic cleansing would be possible without the army’s support. Village after village, house after house. It keeps happening because it is policy."

UN HROffice statement:

The United Nations Human Rights Office stated that Israeli forces were present at the scene and did not initially intervene to end the siege, but rather prevented paramedics, solidarity activists, and journalists from reaching the families, before soldiers dismantled a settler tent on Wednesday, while settlers remained around the homes the next day.

The United Nations says that the settlement outpost from which settlers set off towards the Ras al-Ain area was established near Qasra in November 2025, and that the following months witnessed an escalation in home invasions, physical attacks, vandalism, theft and burning, including targeting a mosque.

The United Nations Human Rights Office said that what is happening in Qasra makes the lives of families "unbearable", and that the pattern of restrictions on them aims to force them to leave their homes and lands, warning of the danger of their forced displacement.

The United Nations considers all Israeli settlements and outposts in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, illegal under international law, and demands that Israel stop settlement activity, protect Palestinians from settler attacks, and hold their perpetrators accountable.