Israeli Settlers and Military Siege Palestinian Homes in Qusra Village
Palestinians in the West Bank village of Qusra have been besieged for days by armed Israeli settlers and military battalions, leaving residents trapped inside their homes without consistent access to food, water, or electricity. The United Nations reported that families are experiencing a state of terror as they are cut off from basic needs. While the Israeli military has dismantled some outposts, it has simultaneously refused to execute several eviction orders against the illegal outpost from which the settlers are operating. Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz announced plans to transfer law enforcement among settlers to the Israeli police, aiming to focus the military on fighting Palestinian terrorism rather than chasing "boys on the hills." This move would cement the status quo of separate legal systems for Jews and Palestinians in the West Bank. The administration announced that it would rescind the U.S. sanctions on settlers and Israeli organizations accused of violence, a move made during the first term of President Trump. The administration also appointed Mike Huckabee as U.S. Ambassador to Israel, who has expressed support for the settlement enterprise and referred to the settlers as "terrorists."