US ambassador Huckabee calls Israeli settler siege of Palestinian homes in Qusra an 'act of terror'
US Ambassador Mike Huckabee condemned Israeli settlers besieging Palestinian homes in Qusra as an 'act of terror', a striking rebuke from a diplomat known for backing settlements. Residents remain cut off from food and water since Sunday.
Settlers blockade Palestinian homes
Since Sunday, several dozen Israeli settlers have blocked access to Palestinian homes in the village of Qusra near Nablus in the occupied West Bank. Three homes are under siege, including one belonging to a dual US citizen. Residents say they have been cut off from food, water, electricity and medicine, with one resident telling AFP they received 'no access to food and medicine'. Loai Ridi, an American-Palestinian speaking from Toledo in the United States, said his brother Qusai Abu Rida and 18-year-old nephew Ahmed were among those trapped, relying on a temporary solar power system and leftover well water from winter after supply lines were cut.
- Israeli settlers begin blocking access to Palestinian homes in Qusra near Nablus, including a house belonging to a dual US citizen
- Israeli army removes a settler tent at US request; settlers remain on site with blankets
- Army returns, dismantles two illegal outposts, confiscates equipment, arrests one Israeli
- Settlers still on neighboring hill; Huckabee posts condemnation on X calling the siege an act of terror
Huckabee's unusual condemnation
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee posted on X that the actions of those behind the siege were 'disgusting', calling it a 'horrific act of terror' aimed at intimidating and harassing a family. He added there was 'no excuse for such thuggish behaviour'. The rebuke is striking because Huckabee, an evangelical Christian pastor, has repeatedly supported Jewish settlements in the West Bank and rejected the idea of a Palestinian state. Oded Revivi, former mayor of the settlement of Efrat, noted in a communiqué that one cannot 'pass off Ambassador Huckabee as a leftist, him who is the greatest friend of colonization in the United States'.
Israeli army intervenes
Huckabee said Israel intervened in Qusra at the request of the United States. On Wednesday, Israeli soldiers removed a settler tent, but witnesses said the settlers remained on site with blankets. The army returned overnight and dismantled 'two illegal outposts', confiscated equipment, and arrested one Israeli, according to an army statement. Aisha Hassan, a resident trapped in her home, told AFP that 'the tent and the settlers' belongings are no longer there' but 'the settlers are on the neighboring hill'. She said residents still had no access to food because 'the area is completely sealed by the army'. Abdel Azim Wadi, mayor of Qusra, said the army issued a temporary evacuation order to the besieged residents while it dealt with the settlers. The area has been declared a 'closed military zone'.
Village under siege
Al Jazeera correspondent Nida Ibrahim reported that the entire village of Qusra is under siege, with every entrance blocked by the Israeli army to prevent other Palestinians from coming to help the trapped families. Aisha Abu Rida, a Palestinian besieged in the town, vowed 'not to leave our home, no matter what happens'. Loai Ridi said his brother Qusai Abu Rida does not want to leave the home because settlers would take over immediately.
Broader West Bank context
More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements in the West Bank, illegal under international law, among approximately 3 million Palestinians. Israel has occupied the territory since 1967. Settler violence against Palestinians has intensified since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, with more than 1,000 Palestinians and dozens of Israelis killed in the West Bank since then. Huckabee also defended Israeli authorities, saying they had gone to Qusra at Washington's request. Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have shown disagreements in recent months, recently over the American plan for Gaza.
