Israeli militants besiege two Palestinian families in their West Bank homes

NB: The death toll from the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip has risen to 73,382 Palestinians killed and 174,236 injured since October 7, 2023, according to medical sources. … They added that the total number of Palestinians killed since the ceasefire on October 11, 2025 has reached 1,255, while the number of injuries has risen to 4,125. A total of 806 bodies have also been recovered during the same period… a number of victims remain trapped under the rubble and on roads... Children: Since October 2023, at least 20,179 Palestinian children have been killed; and 44,143 injured. 58,000 children have been orphaned. Palestine has the largest concentration of child amputees in the world. DS

Settlers and soldiers cut off water and electricity to homes, and block medical care in campaign of terror. Violence is deployed as part of a broader campaign of ethnic cleansing. Israel has forcibly displaced 64 Palestinian communities over the past three years, rights group B’Tselem said. Fifteen other communities have lost residents, with more than 4,800 people driven from their homes.

Emma Graham-Harrison in Qusra

Israeli militants have besieged two Palestinian families in their homes since the weekend, aiming to take over their properties in the West Bank village of Qusra through a campaign of terror. A group of settlers and soldiers set up a tent outside the home of Yousef Hassan on Sunday afternoon, trapping him inside with his wife and two young daughters.

The Israeli men gathered just metres away from the spot where 28-year-old Amir Moatasem Odeh was killed by a settler in March. Another attacker stabbed his father. No one has been arrested over the murder and assault.

“Every night, the settlers throw stones, use obscene language and shout during the night. We are living in a state of terror,” Hassan said. His mother, brother and sister, and three neighbours have also been blockaded inside, and their power and water have been cut off.

Settlers used the same tactics to steal another Palestinian home in neighbouring Jalud village, driving the al Tubasi family out in July after a months-long siege. They cut off water and electricity to the homes, although a solar panel allows Hassan to keep some devices charged in Qusra. They have also blocked medical care.

When his younger daughter, a two-year-old, fell ill with vomiting and a high fever on Monday, settlers blocked an ambulance from reaching the house. The girls and their mother were eventually evacuated on Tuesday.

They are short on food and are drinking water and juice delivered by the ambulance that came to collect his daughter. “The situation is extremely dire,” Hassan said.

On Wednesday morning, the commander of Israeli forces in the region, Gen Avi Bluth, visited the families and promised to lift the siege, an Israeli military spokesperson said. Hassan confirmed the visit.

“Today, the area commander came and spoke with us and assured us that he would evacuate the settlers. For the first time, I feel that there is some seriousness on the part of the army in dealing with the settlers,” Hassan said, but added that it had not yet produced tangible results.

Soldiers took the tent but not bedding and other possessions and, after brief clashes with the settlers, withdrew. “The settlers are still there in front of the house, and we are still unable to leave.”…

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/12/israeli-militants-besiege-two-palestinian-families-in-their-west-bank-homes

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