More than 300 Israeli reservists called on the army to stop settler violence in the West Bank after settlers gathered around the homes of three Palestinian families in Qusra, south of Nablus.
In a petition sent to Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, the soldiers argued that the attacks also endangered Israeli troops and called on the army to take decisive action.
Three Palestinian families under siege in Qusra
The three Palestinian families said they had been unable to access basic necessities for three days after the road leading to their homes was blocked with stones and tents were erected in the area. Yusuf Abdulsalam, a Palestinian resident of the area, said about 200 settlers had gathered around the homes and placed stones on the road.
Abdulsalam said that, in addition to his family of four, his brother’s family, his parents and another relative’s family were also trapped in their homes. He said the settlers wanted to drive the families from their homes and take control of the properties.
Abdulsalam said Israeli forces removed one of the tents the previous night, but about 200 settlers later arrived in the area and blocked the road again.
Reservists criticize the army’s intervention
The petition argued that soldiers were repeatedly assigned to separate Israelis and Palestinians but lacked the clear authority and means to intervene before violence began.
The soldiers said they had served for hundreds of days since October 7, 2023, and had taken risks for Israel’s security in the West Bank. The petition also argued that the army leadership had failed to support troops in the field, sending them only to defuse incidents and failing to take adequate action against those responsible for the attacks.
Reserve Major Aviad Homenir-Rozenblum said soldiers were repeatedly forced to put their lives at risk because of rising settler violence and deliberate confrontations. Reserve Captain Tom Ben-Hassi said the events in Qusra were not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern in the West Bank.
Ben-Hassi said armed settler groups were acting with limited intervention and that the army had at times shifted from enforcing the law to protecting the actions of an extremist minority. He said settler violence did not enhance security, endangered soldiers and heightened tensions in the area.
Israeli army says tent was removed
The Israeli army said commanders led by Central Command chief Avi Bluth had visited Qusra and the surrounding settlement areas, and had also met with the Palestinian family in the area.
The army said a tent occupied by settlers had been found near the homes, in Area B, which had been declared a closed military zone. Border Police forces removed the tent; however, footage released later showed that settlers continued to remain at the site after Israeli forces left the area.
The Israeli army did not comment on the petition signed by the reservists.
MK Kariv accuses army
Gilad Kariv, a lawmaker from the opposition Democrats party, argued that the army had turned a blind eye to attacks on the Palestinian families in Qusra. Kariv said the army’s reluctance to evacuate the outpost and its failure to lift the siege around the families encouraged violence in the occupied territories.
Kariv said no extremist settler had been detained for preventing the outpost from being evacuated and refusing to obey orders. He also shared footage showing settlers placing stones on the road leading to the illegal outpost, preventing the army from reaching the area.
The West Bank is divided into Areas A, B and C under the 1995 Oslo II Accord. Area B is under Palestinian civil administration and Israeli security control.
