On Saturday afternoon, Israeli settlers entered the Palestinian village of Qusra in the occupied West Bank and seized the home of Louay Adli while he and six family members were inside. The crowd, which Adli estimated at 60 to 70 people, surrounded the house, threw stones, and forced the occupants onto the roof for an hour as they struggled to breathe.
Adli called Israeli police, but the settlers continued their assault. Video obtained by CNN shows rocks being hurled from one side of the house while Israeli soldiers operated on the opposite side, firing tear gas into the dwelling. The family was eventually trapped between the settlers and the army.
According to Adli, Israeli security forces later arrested and blindfolded him, warning him not to return to his home. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) described the incident as a “proportionate force” response to a Palestinian accused of resisting and throwing stones, and said dozens of rioters were identified inside the house.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the violence, calling it a “handful of rioters” and pledging a vigorous investigation. Israeli President Isaac Herzog labeled the episode a “direct and flagrant defiance of the laws and values of the State of Israel,” urging decisive action.
Broader context of settler violence
Qusra has been the target of repeated settler incursions in recent months, with some Palestinian families, including U.S. citizens, forced from their homes. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee described the attacks as a “horrific act of terror meant to intimidate and harass.” More than 700,000 Israeli settlers live in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, a presence the international community largely deems illegal under international law.
In a separate incident the same day, masked settlers attacked an NBC News crew in the West Bank town of Jalud while they were interviewing a Palestinian woman who said her family had been forced out by settlers. The Foreign Press Association condemned the assault as part of a recurring pattern of violence against journalists and civilians.
Palestinian activist Ayed Jafry, who works near Nablus, said the military often works with settlers rather than stopping them, describing a policy of displacement that is “clear, deliberate, and organized between the army and the settlers.” The IDF announced heightened readiness in the West Bank, ordering additional units to the area to prevent further disturbances.
As of Sunday evening, Israeli authorities had not announced any arrests related to the Qusra incident, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
