Netanyahu condemns settler violence against a Palestinian village in the West Bank

Dozens of Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Qusra in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, surrounding residents in a house and throwing stones at them. Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the "criminal acts of violence," a rare stance from him toward the settlers.

The attack took place on the morning of August 29. According to a resident, Youssef Abdul Karim Hassan, some villagers were working on a house when a small group of settlers approached them. The settlers returned shortly afterward with dozens of others, surrounded the Palestinians inside the building, and threw stones at them.

The Israeli army confirmed it had dispatched soldiers and police to the border after receiving reports of "violent clashes, including stone-throwing against Palestinians and other civilians." Upon arrival, the forces found "dozens of rioters holed up in a Palestinian home with residents inside." Vehicles were seized as evidence in the police investigation. The army also mentioned "reports of wounded Palestinians," without specifying the number or condition of the injured.

Benjamin Netanyahu reacted in unusually harsh terms for an Israeli prime minister commenting on settler actions. He condemned "a handful of rioters who break the law, cause great harm to the law-abiding Jewish community, hinder the IDF in carrying out its missions, and damage Israel's standing in the world."

Qusra, a town near Nablus, has been tense since early August, when a group of settlers began blocking access to the village and besieging its residents, provoking national and international condemnation. Israeli forces have been present in the area since then.

The West Bank has been occupied by Israel since 1967. More than 500,000 Israelis live there in settlements considered illegal under international law, alongside approximately three million Palestinians. Settlement activity has accelerated since the far-right party joined Netanyahu's governing coalition in late 2022.

Settler violence has increased sharply since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023. Such violence rarely results in prosecution. Since then, soldiers and settlers have killed at least 1,103 Palestinians, including combatants and civilians, according to a count based on data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health. On the Israeli side, at least 48 people, including civilians and members of the security forces, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations, according to Israeli figures.