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The United States is urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly condemn militant Israeli settlers accused of besieging Palestinian families in Qusra, a village in the occupied West Bank, according to U.S. and Israeli officials.
Settlers have reportedly surrounded three Palestinian homes in Qusra for nearly a week after water and electricity supplies were cut. The situation has intensified concerns among rights groups that settler activity is aimed at expanding control over West Bank land claimed by Palestinians for a future state.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, known for supporting Jewish settlements in the West Bank, strongly criticized the incident, describing settlers involved in the siege as "Israeli terrorists." U.S. pressure reportedly increased after officials learned that one of the targeted homes belonged to a Palestinian-American.
A White House official said stability in the West Bank is important for Israeli security and Washington's broader objective of achieving regional peace. Netanyahu has yet to publicly address the Qusra siege.
Palestinian resident Aysha Hassan said families remained fearful as settlers continued to gather near their homes. Israeli and international activists delivered food and bottled water on Friday, although military restrictions prevented them from taking the supplies directly to the houses.
The United Nations said around 15 Palestinians, including two children, had been trapped without running water or electricity. Video obtained by Reuters showed settlers near a tent outside one home before Israeli soldiers arrived and removed it. The Israel Defense Forces said troops dismantled the tent while protecting local residents.
The confrontation comes amid rising Israeli settler violence in the West Bank since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. Netanyahu's government has also overseen rapid settlement expansion across the territory.
Rights groups allege settlers are seeking control of land around Qusra and neighboring Jalud to connect nearby outposts and established settlements. The West Bank is home to roughly three million Palestinians and 500,000 Israeli settlers, with Peace Now counting about 146 settlements and 390 smaller outposts across the territory.
