Netanyahu condemns 'criminal acts of violence' by settlers in West Bank villages

On Saturday, dozens of Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Qusra in the northern occupied West Bank, near Nablus, after nearly three weeks of heightened tension in the area. The incident drew unusual criticism from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Earlier in August, a group of settlers began blocking supplies from entering Palestinian houses on the outskirts of the village, trapping residents inside and prompting unusually strong condemnation from the US ambassador.

On Saturday, Qusra residents and the military said that dozens of settlers descended on the village, throwing stones at residents and barricading themselves inside a house while Palestinians were still inside. In the nearby village of Jalud, settlers attacked a Palestinian family and a foreign media crew accompanying them, according to the Palestinian official news agency Wafa.

In a statement, Netanyahu said: "I strongly condemn the criminal acts of violence committed in the villages of Qusra and Jalud by a handful of rioters who are violating the law, causing a grave injustice to the law-abiding Jewish community, interfering with the IDF in carrying out its missions, and harming Israel's standing in the world."

A Qusra resident, Yussef Abdul Kareem Hassan, said that a small group of villagers were working on a house on Saturday when settlers approached them. The settlers then called for reinforcements and returned with dozens more, surrounding the Palestinians inside the house and throwing stones.

AFP footage showed dozens of Israeli forces deployed at the scene. The Israeli military said soldiers and border police were dispatched after reports of violent clashes, including stone-hurling toward Palestinians and other civilians. Upon arrival, security forces identified dozens of rioters barricaded inside a Palestinian home and worked to remove them, separate the groups, and confiscate vehicles suspected of being used to reach the area. The vehicles would serve as evidence in a police investigation. The military strongly condemned all forms of violence.

Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank has persisted for years, often with little or no legal consequence, but recent months have seen a surge in attacks. More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the Palestinian territory, which are illegal under international law, among some three million Palestinians. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. According to an AFP tally based on data from the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli forces or settlers have killed at least 1,103 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. Israeli figures show at least 48 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations in the same period.