US Ambassador Condemns Israeli Settler Siege of Palestinian Homes in West Bank

QUSRA: US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has sharply condemned the siege of Palestinian homes by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, describing the settlers involved as “terrorists” in an unusually strong rebuke by the Trump administration.

The confrontation in the northern West Bank town of Qusra has continued amid growing concerns over escalating settler violence in the territory. Dozens of Israeli settlers reportedly surrounded three Palestinian homes for several nights, preventing residents from leaving safely while supplies of water and food dwindled.

According to the Associated Press, settlers also cut water and electricity supplies to the homes, while Israeli troops intervened several times. Israel’s military condemned the siege as illegal and unacceptable and declared Qusra a closed military zone.

Despite the military intervention, settlers returned to the area and reportedly clashed with Israeli soldiers. The military later said its forces dismantled two illegal outposts in Qusra and a nearby village and detained one Israeli settler.

The incident has drawn particular attention because one of the homes is owned by a Palestinian-American family. Huckabee, who has previously expressed support for Israeli settlements, said the settlers’ actions were unacceptable and called for protection of the affected Palestinian families. His comments marked a notably strong public criticism of Israeli settlers by a senior US official.

Qusra Mayor Abdel Azim Wadi said Israeli forces had evacuated residents from more than a dozen homes while deploying troops in the village. Palestinian residents also reported that utility connections were cut again after being restored.

The confrontation comes amid a broader increase in settler violence across the West Bank, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and which Palestinians seek as the main territory of a future independent state. Rights groups have repeatedly accused Israeli authorities of failing to adequately prevent or prosecute attacks by settlers.

The latest episode has increased pressure on the Israeli government to take stronger action against violent settlers and could further complicate relations between Washington and the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.