Israeli settlers attack Palestinian homes in West Bank

Key Points:

• Masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in the West Bank villages of Qusra and Jalud by throwing rocks and trapping residents inside their homes, marking the first major settler attack since a siege began earlier this month.
• The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intervened by removing rioters from a home and impounding settler vehicles, but Palestinians accused the IDF of protecting settlers, using tear gas against Palestinians, and mistreating residents.
• The attacks occurred amid ongoing settler encroachments and a military presence that Palestinians say imprisons them in their homes, with rights groups labeling settler actions as illegal land seizures, though the Israeli government disputes these claims.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly condemned the violence by settlers, calling it criminal and harmful to Israel's reputation, a rare criticism given the government's general support for settlement expansion.
• US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also criticized radical settlers as "Israeli terrorists" and warned that those responsible for the Qusra siege could face US sanctions.