Israeli army orders Palestinians to leave homes in West Bank village

Israeli military forces ordered approximately a dozen Palestinian households to leave their properties in the West Bank village of Qusra during an operation aimed at removing Israeli settlers from the area.

The settlers had besieged residents in three homes since Sunday, cutting off their power and water supplies. Qusra Mayor Abdel Azim Wadi told the BBC that the village had been declared a closed military zone and that Israeli forces were using some of the vacated Palestinian houses as barracks.

An Israeli military spokesman said the operation's aim was "to protect the residents." The same spokesman characterized the settlers' actions as "deplorable" and "unacceptable," stating that the government would investigate and make arrests.

The operation took place in the occupied West Bank, where tensions between Israeli settlers and Palestinian residents have periodically resulted in confrontations and displacement.