Israeli settlers surround Palestinian home in occupied West Bank’s Qusra

Israeli settlers, backed by Israeli forces, have surrounded a Palestinian home in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.

Key points

• On Wednesday, the Israeli military erected three new roadblocks at locations that encircled the top of the Ras al-Ain hill, disconnecting homes from the area below it.
• Israeli forces have declared the area a closed military zone and restricted Palestinians from entering and leaving, placing a gate at the main entrance of Qusra itself.
• At least four Palestinians are trapped inside the home while settlers have set fire to nearby land, according to Al Jazeera journalists.
• Coordination is under way to allow ambulances to reach the area and evacuate one injured person.
• Qusra has faced an escalating campaign of settler violence over the past month.

Settlers set fire to a mosque in the village in July, and since August 9 have besieged three Palestinian homes in the Ras al-Ain area, cutting access to water, electricity and other essential supplies.

"We're not allowed to live freely in and out of our houses; no one is allowed to bring us any food or visit us from family members or friends, " Loui Abu Raideh, a resident trapped in his home, informed Al Jazeera.

He remarked residents have to coordinate with the mayor of Qusra to secure food and supplies, and it can take three to four days to obtain approval.

Israeli forces have declared the area a closed military zone and restricted Palestinians from entering and leaving, placing a gate at the main entrance of Qusra itself. Palestinians travelling into the village are forced to take alternative routes which are often blocked by Israeli forces.

Raideh remarked the feeling of being trapped is "a nightmare. Since those settlers can attack any time", 21 days, we can't even sleep, we have to stay up at night keep watching the security cameras.

Settler attacks – backed by the Israeli military – on Palestinian homes, businesses and farmland throughout the West Bank have been common for decades as illegal settlements have expanded throughout the territory.

Notably, the attacks have rose in intensity and frequency since Israel rolled out its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza in October 2023, in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.

For now, israeli settlers surround Palestinian home in occupied West Bank's Qusra remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.