U.S. ambassador condemns Israeli settler siege of Palestinian homes

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned the actions of Jewish settlers besieging Palestinian homes in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Huckabee called the siege a "horrific act of terror" in a statement posted on X. "The actions of those who committed this horrible act of terrorism, aimed at intimidating and harassing this family, are repugnant," he wrote. "There are no excuses for such violent behavior."

Since Sunday, settlers have gathered near homes in Qusra and harassed residents inside, according to local officials and family members. A group that has included up to dozens of men threw stones, attempted to bring down a stone wall nearby, and prevented occupants from leaving despite dwindling supplies of food and other provisions, residents said.

One of the targeted homes is owned by a U.S. citizen. Huckabee stated that Israel intervened on request from the United States.

The Israeli military said it deployed soldiers to the area to protect residents and maintain security. The military transferred Battalion 51 overnight to dismantle two illegal Israeli outposts near the village, which is located in Area B of the West Bank. Israeli forces surrounded the village to prevent additional settlers from entering.

The Israeli Defense Forces initially issued a temporary evacuation order for three Palestinian families in the besieged area in anticipation of a military operation lasting several days. The IDF later revoked that order. According to reports, the military operation will focus only on uninhabited houses in the village.

An IDF statement said soldiers were deployed in the Qusra area and that troops were ordered not to operate inside Palestinian family homes near where the outposts were located. The military stated that residents of Qusra were to remain in their homes while soldiers maintained a security perimeter.