Settlers besiege Qusra village, army orders evacuation of 15 homes

The Israeli occupation army issued orders to evacuate about 15 Palestinian homes in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus, while settlers continue to besiege homes in the village for days. The Times of Israel reported that the evacuation orders targeted Palestinians while settlers remained at the site, after besieging two homes and cutting off water and electricity. The army retracted the orders after the issue spread in the media, and two families were forced to evacuate before one returned. The family discovered the disappearance of a memory card and a sum of money. One resident said soldiers ordered him to leave within half an hour without explanation. These developments come amid escalating settler attacks in the West Bank.

The Israeli occupation army issued orders to evacuate about 15 Palestinian homes in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, while Israeli settlers continue to besiege a number of homes in the village for days, raising fears of displacement of residents and seizure of their homes. The Times of Israel reported that the evacuation orders targeted Palestinians while settlers from outposts remained at the site, after they besieged two homes on the outskirts of the village since Sunday and cut off water and electricity lines. The army did not clarify the reason for evacuating Palestinians from their homes, before retracting the orders after the issue spread in the media. Two families were forced to evacuate their besieged homes and were moved to a third building that was also besieged, before one was allowed to return. After returning, the family discovered the disappearance of a memory card from surveillance cameras that were documenting the siege, and video footage showed damage to the home, and confirmed the disappearance of a sum of money during the period of soldiers' control. The newspaper quoted one resident as saying that soldiers informed residents of 15 homes of the need to evacuate as part of a military operation aimed at clearing settler sites, but video clips showed settlers remaining near the homes. Qusai Abu Ridi, one of the residents, said soldiers entered his home and told him to leave within half an hour without explanation. These developments come amid escalating settler attacks in the West Bank, with criticism of the government for overlooking these attacks.