The Israel Defense Forces failed in an attempt on Wednesday to clear an illegal settler outpost blocking the entrance to Palestinian homes in the West Bank village of Qusra, located south of Nablus, according to witnesses and security sources. A Palestinian family living in a home on the village outskirts has been trapped inside since Sunday, when extremist settlers established temporary structures and staked a wildcat claim to the land. Israeli militants besieged Palestinian families in their homes aiming to take over properties through a campaign of terror.
IDF Fails to Clear Outpost Blocking West Bank Homes
On Wednesday morning, IDF troops and Border Police forces deployed to dismantle the outpost and remove settler activists. Upon arrival, forces found the road obstructed by rocks, cutting off access to the besieged homes. The military had hoped to execute the evacuation quietly, but the plan was reportedly leaked to the media in advance, allowing dozens of Jewish rioters and settler activists to swarm the area beforehand. The confrontation marked a rare direct clash between settlers and the military.
Clashes and Continued Siege in Qusra
During the operation, Border Police officers used tear gas and riot dispersal means against the gathering crowds. Security forces removed the canopy and tent structures of the outpost, but left the bedding and other possessions behind. Following brief clashes, the military withdrew from the area, and settlers subsequently returned to the site, leaving the entrance to the home of resident Youssef Hassan still blocked.
Youssef Hassan, along with his wife, two young daughters, and several extended family members and neighbors, remained blockaded inside without power or water. Aysha Hassan, another resident of the besieged homes, described the ongoing ordeal: They tried to break the gate to the house, and started throwing stones at us, cursing and insulting us. We are dying of fear, extremely terrified.
Military Response and Command Actions
IDF Central Command Chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth visited Qusra on Wednesday, touring the area and speaking with the affected Palestinian family. Following an assessment led by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the military announced that an infantry battalion would be dispatched to the West Bank to bolster troops handling provocations and settler attacks.
In a statement issued late Tuesday, the military offered sharp criticism of the site, describing the Qusra outpost as illegal, reprehensible, and unacceptable activity that harms the residents of the areas and disrupts their daily lives.
Additionally, the military confirmed it would take disciplinary action against troops caught praying alongside settlers outside the besieged homes on Sunday rather than removing them.
Wider Context of West Bank Tensions
The incident unfolds amid a sharp increase in West Bank land seizures and friction involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government. According to the Israeli settlement watchdog group Peace Now, the West Bank holds approximately 146 settlements and 390 smaller outposts alongside roughly three million Palestinians and 500,000 settlers. Separately on Wednesday, more than 300 military reservists signed a petition urging IDF leadership to take decisive action against what they termed Jewish terrorism
in the territory.
