Blocked and Boiled: Inside the West Bank Siege on Palestinian Families

Sun Sep 06 2026 02:22:11 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Israeli settlers block access to homes in Qusra, cutting water and power for two Palestinian families. The IDF responds as the West Bank sees rising conflict.

Two Palestinian families in the West Bank’s Qusra village are trapped as Israeli settlers cut off their water, electricity, and even block access to their homes. They have posted pleas for help on social media, while Israeli security forces ultimately stepped in to stop the siege. The incident is part of a broader wave of settler incursions that have displaced thousands of Palestinians and increased violence in the region. The United Nations has warned that the West Bank is ‘at breaking point’ as tensions rise.

The Siege in Qusra

In the West Bank village of Qusra, Israeli settlers have surrounded the homes of the Abu Ridi and Hassan families, cutting off their water, electricity and even blocking access to their property. The families posted urgent pleas on social media as supplies ran low and they felt “completely isolated.”

After the first Israeli soldiers arrived, they reportedly prayed with the settlers, and only later did the army withdraw from the outpost, leaving a dozen settlers still present. The situation escalated when the settlers lifted a wall and used stones to block the road, trapping seven people, including two girls, inside the house.

Human rights group Yesh Din called on the Israeli army’s Central Command to protect the families, evacuate the outpost and hold the settlers accountable. An ambulance finally reached the villagers on Tuesday, bringing food and medical treatment for a child.

The IDF condemned the settlement’s establishment, calling it “illegal, reprehensible, and unacceptable.” Senior officers met the residents, voicing grave concern and instructing border police to remove the settler tent and evacuate nearby civilians.

The incident is part of a larger pattern of settler violence. Over the past year, more than 7,000 Palestinians have been displaced by settler actions, with 76 Palestinians, including 18 children, killed in the West Bank in 2026. UN officials warned the region was “at breaking point.”

Israel’s ambassador to the UN defended the settlements, insisting they have biblical, historic and legal rights and that Israel will not move. Meanwhile, Palestinian voices call for international intervention and protection of their communities.