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Masked Settlers Attack Palestinian Home in Qusra
Dozens of masked Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Qusra in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, surrounding a home and trapping seven Palestinians inside . The incident marks the first major attack since settlers laid siege to the same village earlier this month, drawing international condemnation .
According to witnesses, settlers threw stones at residents and barricaded themselves inside a Palestinian home . The owner of the house, Luay Bayrudi, told Reuters that when the Israeli military arrived, they handcuffed, blindfolded, and beat those inside before later releasing them .
Saddam Oday, one of those trapped, said the Israeli military fired tear gas into the home and detained the residents inside while allowing the settlers to leave . The Israeli military stated that troops and border police were dispatched to the scene to remove “rioters” and protect the residents .
Netanyahu Condemns “Criminal Acts” of Violence
In a rare public statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the violence, calling the attacks in Qusra and the neighboring village of Jalud “criminal acts” .
“I strongly condemn the criminal acts of violence committed in the villages of Qusra and Jalud by a handful of rioters who are violating the law, causing a grave injustice to the law-abiding Jewish community, interfering with the IDF in carrying out its missions, and harming Israel’s standing in the world,” Netanyahu said .
Settler Violence on the Rise
Rights groups say the increasing settler presence on the edge of Palestinian villages is part of a wider effort to seize land from Palestinians . More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements across the occupied West Bank among approximately three million Palestinians .
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law, a position Israel rejects, viewing the area as disputed rather than occupied . A UN inquiry in June found that Israeli authorities are directly involved in settler attacks that have killed, injured, and displaced Palestinians in the occupied West Bank .
