Overview
- Dozens of masked Israeli settlers stormed the West Bank villages of Qusra and Jalud on Saturday, surrounding and seizing at least one Palestinian home and injuring several residents and foreign journalists.
- Israeli soldiers and border police later removed the settlers, confiscated vehicles and opened an investigation, but authorities had not announced arrests linked to the raids as of the latest reports.
- Palestinian residents said security forces fired tear gas into the trapped house and briefly handcuffed, blindfolded and beat some occupants, while the military said it used what it called proportionate force and detained Palestinians who threw stones.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog issued rare public condemnations and urged arrests, and foreign diplomats publicly rebuked the attacks, signaling political pressure on law enforcement to act.
- Rights groups and U.N. data show settler attacks have surged since October 2023, and locals warn that repeated sieges, roadblocks and harassment are constricting access to food, medical care and movement and increasing the risk of displacement.