“Israeli” Occupiers Tighten 10-Day Siege on Palestinian Families in Qusra

By Staff, Agencies

“Israeli” occupiers, under the protection of “Israeli” forces, continued Tuesday to impose a tight siege for the 10^th consecutive day on three Palestinian homes in the town of Qusra, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, according to a local official.

Since August 9, the occupiers have surrounded three Palestinian families comprising around 13 people in the Ras Al-Ain area, restricting their movement and preventing essential supplies, including food and water, from reaching them.

Qusra Mayor Abdul Azim Al-Wadi told Anadolu that “Israeli” forces and occupiers continue to surround the homes, preventing residents from entering or leaving after the area was declared a “closed military zone.”

“The occupiers are deployed in the area and move freely,” Wadi said.

The mayor said the owner of one of the homes, Louay Abu Rida, a US citizen, managed to reach his property on Monday while accompanied by an American delegation.

“It was very difficult to see your home and family besieged through surveillance cameras, and the hardest part was that I was far away from them and unable to reach them,” Abu Rida said after arriving in Qusra.

He said the reality he encountered after returning from the United States was even more disturbing, as the occupiers had reached the vicinity of his home despite the presence of “Israeli” forces.

“We were told the army was there to protect us and keep the occupiers away, but what we saw on the ground was different,” Abu Rida said.

The Ras Al-Ain area has witnessed repeated attacks by “Israeli” occupiers in recent months as they attempt to establish an illegal settlement outpost and seize Palestinian land and homes.

Palestinians have warned that the prolonged siege could be used as a means of forcing residents from their homes and ultimately confiscating their properties.

Separately, a Palestinian was injured by “Israeli” army gunfire in the town of Al-Ram, north of occupied East Al-Quds [“Jerusalem”], according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

Witnesses said “Israeli” soldiers opened fire on a Palestinian near the separation wall, although the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unclear.

The incident comes amid a broader escalation of attacks by “Israeli” forces and occupiers across the occupied West Bank since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. Palestinian figures say more than 1,100 Palestinians have been martyred during the ongoing escalation.

The continued siege of Palestinian families in Qusra has intensified concerns that “Israeli” military protection is being used to facilitate settler pressure on Palestinian communities and accelerate the seizure of their land.