{"id":36066,"date":"2026-08-15T04:41:28","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T04:41:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/?p=36066"},"modified":"2026-08-15T04:41:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T04:41:28","slug":"us-wants-netanyahu-to-condemn-settler-siege-in-palestinian-village-officials-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/?p=36066","title":{"rendered":"US wants Netanyahu to condemn settler siege in Palestinian village, officials say"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><em>Summary<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>US presses Netanyahu to condemn Qusra siege, officials say<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>15 Palestinians, including two children trapped inside, UN says<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Settlers&#8217; tent taken down in Qusra after soldiers arrive<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Palestinians say siege aims to force them out<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> The United States wants Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly condemn militant settlers who have besieged Palestinians in their homes in \u200bthe occupied West Bank, U.S. and Israeli officials said on Friday, as settlers pressured residents by pitching a new tent before Israeli soldiers arrived and it was taken down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Settlers \u200chave been encircling homes in Qusra for almost a week after cutting off water and electricity, trapping Palestinians in an area where rights groups say settlers are mounting a concerted effort to seize more land, further eating into territory where&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/palestinian-freshwater-springs-being-seized-by-israeli-settlers-2026-08-14\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Palestinians aim to establish a state<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Reuters Iran Briefing newsletter keeps you informed with the latest developments and analysis of the Iran war.&nbsp;Sign up&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/newsletters\/reuters-iran-briefing\/?location=article-paragraph&amp;redirectUrl=%2Fworld%2Fmiddle-east%2Fsiege-palestinian-village-draws-us-criticism-israeli-settlers-dig-2026-08-14%2F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their actions have drawn public U.S. criticism: the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee \u2014 a strong supporter of Jewish settlement in the West Bank \u2014 on Thursday condemned settlers besieging a Palestinian home as &#8220;Israeli terrorists&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A U.S. official and an Israeli \u200bofficial said on Friday that White House officials are pressing Netanyahu to publicly condemn the settlers&#8217; actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Washington began to protest after learning that the home of a Palestinian-American was among those targeted, said \u200bthe two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive discussions of which they had knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is \u2060in line with this administration\u2019s goal to achieve peace in the region,&#8221; a White House official said in a statement to Reuters on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Netanyahu has not commented on the siege in Qusra and his office \u200bdid not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&#8216;THE SETTLERS ARE STILL HERE&#8217;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Violence by Jewish settlers in the West Bank has risen during the three years since the Hamas-led&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/major-moments-israel-gaza-war-2025-01-15\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">October 7 attacks on Israel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Condemning settlers could be \u200bpolitically risky for Netanyahu some two months before&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/israeli-elections-how-they-work-who-is-race-2026-07-29\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">an election<\/a>, potentially upsetting settler voters upon whom parts of his&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/political-struggle-far-right-ally-smotrich-shows-faultline-netanyahu-coalition-2026-08-07\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">right-wing coalition<\/a>&nbsp;rely. Opinion polls show Netanyahu could lose power, his security credentials still shaken by the 2023 Hamas attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We are very afraid,&#8221; said Aysha Hassan, a Palestinian woman who lives in one of three besieged homes in the village, speaking to Reuters by phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;There is nothing new. It&#8217;s been like this for six days&#8230;the settlers are still here.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hassan said she had seen settlers below \u200bthe house in the early hours and shared videos with Reuters showing groups of settlers wandering underneath her home that she said she had taken from her window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Item 1 of 5 Palestinian, Israeli and foreign activists try to approach a Palestinian house which was besieged by Israeli settlers, in Qusra, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, August 14, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS\/Ali Sawafta<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>[1\/5]<\/strong>Palestinian, Israeli and foreign activists try to approach a Palestinian house which was besieged by Israeli settlers, in Qusra, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, August 14, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS\/Ali Sawafta&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reutersconnect.com\/item\/palestinian-israeli-and-foreign-activists-try-to-approach-a-palestinian-house-which-was-besieged-by-israeli-settlers-in-qusra\/dGFnOnJldXRlcnMuY29tLDIwMjY6bmV3c21sX1JDMjdZTUFUUkFMOQ%3D%3D\/?utm_medium=rcom-article-media&amp;utm_campaign=rcom-rcp-lead\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Purchase Licensing&nbsp;Rights, opens new tab<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She said trapped residents received some aid, including \u200bfood, bottled water and canned goods brought by foreign and Israeli activists on Friday, though the military prevented them from delivering it to the homes directly, saying it was a closed military zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The activists said the military told them \u200cthey would \u2060check the aid and bring it to the families. Hassan said the military allowed them to exit the houses, pick up the aid as it was laid out on a dirt path, and bring it inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">ISRAELI MILITARY SAYS IT REMOVED TENT<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The United Nations has said some 15 Palestinians, including two children, were trapped inside their homes with no running water or electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Footage shot by a Palestinian resident trapped in another of the homes and obtained by Reuters showed seven settlers outside, standing near a blue tent. One is seen throwing stones toward the nearby village, as another arrives with chairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Israeli army vehicles and soldiers later arrive and the tent \u200bis seen collapsed on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Israeli civilians erected a \u200btent in the Qusra area, and IDF \u2060soldiers operated to remove it while protecting the local residents,&#8221; the Israeli military (IDF) said in a statement, a day after dozens of troops were sent into Qusra and occupied several village homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Netanyahu&#8217;s government, the most right-wing in Israeli history, has spearheaded a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/graphics\/ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS\/STATE-WESTBANK\/gkvlaejbwpb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rapid expansion<\/a>&nbsp;of settlements in the West Bank, territory captured by Israel in \u200ba 1967 war. Israel has established dozens of new settlements and settler outposts in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rights groups say that settlers have been trying to seize \u200bproperties on the outskirts of \u2060Qusra and neighbouring Jalud as part of a strategy to seize the land between them and join it up with settler outposts to the south and larger settlements to the west.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">MEN IN UNIFORM PRAYED WITH SETTLERS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The siege began at the weekend when settlers closed off the road to the three homes and set up a tent in their front yards, refusing to allow anyone to enter or leave. They had earlier cut off their electricity and \u2060water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Israeli military \u200bhas said soldiers have deployed in Qusra since Thursday morning to protect residents and maintain security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Video from earlier in the week \u200bshowed several Israeli men in green military garb joining the settlers in a morning prayer in the tent. The military said it was taking disciplinary action against any personnel involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The West Bank is home to some three million Palestinians and 500,000 settlers. There are \u200bsome 146 settlements in the West Bank, as well as 390 smaller outposts, according to the Israeli settlement watchdog group Peace Now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reference Link:- <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/siege-palestinian-village-draws-us-criticism-israeli-settlers-dig-2026-08-14\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/siege-palestinian-village-draws-us-criticism-israeli-settlers-dig-2026-08-14\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The United States wants Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly condemn militant settlers who have besieged Palestinians in their homes in \u200bthe occupied West Bank, U.S. and Israeli officials said on Friday, as settlers pressured residents by pitching a new tent before Israeli soldiers arrived and it was taken down. Settlers \u200chave been encircling [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7447,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"aside","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[23876,25547,24508,23877,26287,1510,17576,29081,33508,25456,26276,4935,1515],"class_list":["post-36066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-aside","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sample-category","tag-agression-2","tag-annexation","tag-atrocities-2","tag-brutalities-2","tag-invasion","tag-israel-2","tag-palestine-2","tag-settlers-2","tag-us-want-netanyahu-of-condemn-seetler-seige","tag-violation-of-human-rights-2","tag-violation-of-un-charter-2","tag-war-crimes-2","tag-west-bank-2","post_format-post-format-aside"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36066","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36066"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36066\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36068,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36066\/revisions\/36068"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}