Israeli settlers have besieged two Palestinian families inside their homes in the occupied West Bank, leaving them with dwindling supplies and limited access to outside help.
The families in Qusra, near Nablus, say their water and electricity supplies have been cut off. Their food stocks have also begun to run low.
The standoff began on Sunday after settlers reportedly established an outpost near the families’ homes. About a dozen settlers were still at the site on Wednesday, despite the reported withdrawal of Israeli security forces. Palestinian residents say the situation has become increasingly dangerous. Rights groups have called on Israeli authorities to protect the families and remove the settlers from the area.
Families Trapped Inside Their Homes
The Abu Ridi and Hassan families have appealed for help through social media as the siege continues.
Palestinian security camera footage reportedly shows settlers tearing down a wall outside the Abu Ridi family’s home on Sunday evening. The settlers then used stones from the wall to block a nearby road. The blockade left seven people, including two young girls, unable to leave their homes.
These families live in Area B of the West Bank. The territory is under Palestinian administrative control but remains under Israeli security control.
Qusay Abu Ridi described the situation as critical.
“We are living in our own home, on our own land, and we are asking for nothing more than the right to live safely and with dignity,” he said in a Facebook post.
The families’ situation has also drawn the attention of human rights organisations. Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights group, appealed to the head of the Israeli military’s Central Command on Tuesday. The group called for the army to protect the residents, remove the settlers from the outpost and hold those responsible accountable.
Security Forces Clash With Settlers
The Israeli army’s response has also come under scrutiny. After the Palestinian homeowners initially reported the incident, soldiers who arrived at the scene were filmed praying alongside the settlers.
Israeli security forces later confronted a larger group of settlers at the site on Wednesday. Footage shared with the BBC showed Israeli soldiers and border police using tear gas and stun grenades during the confrontation.
The security forces also appeared to confiscate a canopy used by the settlers. Other equipment at the site was reportedly left behind. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) condemned the establishment of the outpost.
It described entering and seizing Palestinian homes as “illegal, reprehensible, and unacceptable activity”. The IDF also said disciplinary action would be taken against security personnel who had been filmed at the site several days earlier.
A Palestinian ambulance was eventually allowed to reach the families late on Tuesday. The ambulance delivered food and took one child away for medical treatment.
UN Warns West Bank is at Breaking Point
The latest incident comes amid growing international concern over violence in the West Bank. Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN’s Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, told the Security Council on Tuesday that the West Bank was “at breaking point”.
He said settler violence had reached unprecedented levels and highlighted the Nablus Governorate as one of the areas badly affected.
UN figures show that 76 Palestinians, including 18 children, have been killed in the West Bank this year by Israeli forces or settlers. Three Israelis, including one civilian, have also been killed in confrontations with Palestinians and an alleged ramming attack.
The UN says 127 Palestinian communities have experienced full or partial displacement since January 2023. Of those communities, 47 have been completely displaced. More than 6,390 Palestinians have been affected.
In 2026 alone, about 3,800 Palestinians have been displaced because of settler violence, demolitions and evictions. Nearly half of those displaced were children.
Israel Rejects Criticism Over Settlements
Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law. Outposts are generally established without official Israeli authorisation.
At the UN Security Council meeting, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, rejected the argument that settlements are an obstacle to peace. Danon said Israel would continue to maintain and expand its settlements, citing what he described as biblical, historical and legal rights to the land.
“The Security Council must understand a simple truth: we are not going anywhere,” he said.
The dispute over settlements and settler violence remains one of the most contentious issues surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
For the families trapped in Qusra, however, the immediate concern is more basic: getting access to food, water and medical care while waiting for the authorities to end the siege.
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