Israeli Defense Minister Orders Transfer of West Bank Law Enforcement Following Settler Siege in Qusra

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has ordered the transfer of civilian law enforcement in the occupied West Bank from the military to the Israeli police. This decision follows a week long siege of Palestinian homes in the village of Qusra, where Israeli settlers surrounded the residences of the Abu Ridi and Hassan families, cutting off their water and electricity. The Israeli military declared the area a closed military zone and conducted operations that included temporarily relocating the families to remove the settlers, though residents report that soldiers later blocked them from leaving their homes. Some reports and footage indicate that soldiers were seen praying with settlers rather than removing them, leading the army to state that those troops would be disciplined.

Outlets with a center lean report the event as a failure of control over settler violence and a shift in administrative responsibility. Center right coverage emphasizes the passivity of the Israeli state toward radical settlers and the psychological impact on the besieged families. Center left coverage frames the transfer of police power as a strategic move toward the illegal annexation of the West Bank, arguing that it empowers fascist militias and erases the Green Line to enforce apartheid.

International reactions have varied. The United Nations provided food and water to the families, while the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the siege. US Ambassador Mike Huckabee described the settlers involved as Israeli terrorists. Meanwhile, some settler activists claim the actions were a response to Palestinian Authority attempts to gain control of the hilltop and allege that settlers had faced terrorism at the site.