Netanyahu Condemns Settler Attacks in West Bank Village of Qusra

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned criminal acts of violence after dozens of Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Qusra in the northern West Bank on Saturday. The incident involved settlers throwing stones and barricading themselves inside a Palestinian home while the residents were still inside. Israeli security forces were deployed to the scene and eventually removed the settlers from the house. While the Israeli military stated that security forces worked to separate the groups and confiscated three vehicles as evidence, multiple reports indicate that no arrests had been announced as of Sunday evening.

In a separate incident in the town of Jalud, masked settlers attacked an NBC News reporting team and a Palestinian woman they were interviewing. The Foreign Press Association condemned the attack and called for action.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the violence in Qusra. In a subsequent interview with Channel 14, Netanyahu described the attackers as a small handful of young people coming from hardships at home and claimed that international media exaggerates the issue. He emphasized that while these specific attacks were unjustified, he intends to strengthen the settler movement in the West Bank.

Reports on the conduct of the Israeli military vary. Center-left sources report that the army watched and did nothing before firing tear gas at the residents, while center-right sources note that security forces allegedly detained and beat Palestinian residents instead of the settlers. The Israeli military maintains it used proportionate force against individuals resisting and throwing stones.

This escalation follows weeks of tension in Qusra, where settlers had previously blocked supplies from entering Palestinian homes. US Ambassador Mike Huckabee described the settler violence as a horrific act of terror.