The recent encirclement of Palestinian residences by extremist Israeli settlers in Qusra village, located in the occupied West Bank, is not an isolated event. However, the U.S. citizenship of one of the Palestinian homeowners has garnered more media focus compared to the frequent acts of aggression by radical Jewish settlers attempting to displace Palestinians from their land. Loui Ridi, a businessman based in Ohio, returned to Qusra on August 17 to safeguard his residence, where his brother and nephew reside, amidst settlers surrounding it along with two neighboring homes.
Upon arriving in Qusra, Ridi expressed concerns about the settlers potentially seizing his home if his family were to evacuate due to lack of food. He recounted a similar siege on a neighboring village a couple of months earlier, where settlers succeeded in forcing a family out of their house. Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are deemed illegal under international law and have notably expanded under the leadership of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ultra-nationalist coalition allies, who are accused of implicitly endorsing settler violence.
Ridi’s initial action upon returning to Qusra was raising an American flag atop his building, seeking assistance from the U.S. Embassy. Qusra, situated about 16 kilometers south of Nablus, is surrounded by settlement blocs such as Migdalim and Shilo, as well as increasing numbers of outposts inhabited by extremist settlers. Incidents of settler attacks resulting in casualties or property damage are averaging six per day this year, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, marking a record high.
The escalation of violence in Qusra led to condemnation from U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who labeled the perpetrators as “Israeli terrorists.” Huckabee emphasized his dismay over criminal actions targeting families and distanced himself from referring to the settlers as such, preferring the term “un-settlers.” The presence of more than 700,000 Israeli settlers in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, raises concerns, with some residing in unauthorized outposts considered illegal even within Israeli laws.
Critics argue that Huckabee overlooks the underlying issue of institutionalized annexation of the West Bank through violent means. The situation in Qusra prompted the deployment of Israeli border police and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) units to restore order and remove settlers blockading Palestinian homes. Ridi reported IDF declaring a closed military zone around his residence, urging him to remain indoors while a settler intimidated him.
Video footage captured by Ridi showed Israeli soldiers allegedly engaging in provocative actions such as throwing items from a besieged house in Qusra. The blurred distinction between soldiers and settlers raises concerns among Palestinians, who believe the IDF enables settler activities rather than addressing them effectively. The ongoing violence directed towards the outskirts of Palestinian settlements aims to limit Palestinian movement and consolidate settlements, as observed in the case of Qusra.
Beyond Qusra, settlement expansion continues on a larger scale, with international condemnation of Israel’s decision to publish construction tenders for a new settlement, E1, near occupied East Jerusalem. This move is criticized for jeopardizing the two-state solution by disrupting the territorial integrity of the Palestinian Territories.