Kusra, a town in the Nablus governorate, was the scene of a new raid in the occupied West Bank, where attacks against Palestinians continue. Masked and armed Israelis arriving in pickup trucks attacked a home, injuring two Palestinians and preventing some residents from leaving their houses.
Footage shows dozens of people arriving in Kusra in the beds of pickup trucks. The masked individuals were carrying weapons and sticks.
Details of the raid in Kusra
The Palestinian official news agency said two Palestinians were injured during the attack and that some people nearby were trapped in their homes. Israeli troops were sent to the area, and an ambulance was prevented from entering.
The incident took place in a home in the Ras al-Ayn area, which the Israeli army had previously declared a closed military zone and placed under blockade, local residents said. Two Palestinians were injured while the residents were resisting.
The Israeli army said troops were sent to the area after receiving reports of violent clashes, including Palestinians throwing stones. The army said that when the soldiers arrived, a home was under siege, the people who had entered it were taken outside, and the groups were separated.
The statement said that pickup trucks and other vehicles were seized and handed over to the Israeli police as part of the investigation. It said operations in Kusra and Jalud were continuing but did not say whether anyone involved in the attack had been detained.
Palestinians' accounts
Palestinians in the area said Israeli soldiers kept them inside their homes and beat them after arriving at the scene. A Kusra resident said the area around the home was pelted with stones, soldiers threw stun grenades into the house, and the resident and two other people were injured.
The Palestinians said soldiers kept some people inside the home for about two hours before forcing them to leave. One Palestinian said his hands were tied behind his back, his eyes were covered, and he was beaten inside the home.
The same person alleged that he and several others, along with their work tools, were placed in a military vehicle, taken out at the entrance to the village of Duma, and beaten by soldiers with the butts of their weapons.
Statements by Israeli officials
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argued that people who attacked Palestinians in Kusra and Jalud had obstructed the Israeli army from carrying out its duties. Netanyahu condemned the violence, saying such actions damaged Israel's international reputation.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also said the attacks damaged his country's international image and condemned the incident. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said it condemned the violence and that army and police teams sent to the area were collecting evidence.
Yashar Party leader Gadi Eisenkot argued that the incidents in the West Bank stemmed from the government policies of Netanyahu and his coalition partners. Democrats Party leader Yair Golan also said violence in the West Bank threatened Israel's security.
Police investigation
The Israeli Police said officers went to the scene, conducted searches and dispersed the people who carried out the attack. The police said efforts were underway to identify the attackers and bring them before a court.
Other developments in the West Bank
In Jalud, a Palestinian, his wife and two foreign journalists were injured by blows they received during an attack by Israelis. In Kusra, a home was also attacked with tear gas and stones, leaving some Palestinians affected by the gas.
Abdelazim al-Wadi, mayor of Kusra, said three homes in the town had been under blockade for 21 days. Al-Wadi said the families were facing great difficulties obtaining food, water and daily necessities, and that first-aid teams were also being prevented from reaching the homes.
According to data from the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Israeli army and Israeli attackers carried out 2,256 attacks against Palestinians, their land and property in July. Of these attacks, 1,458 were attributed to the Israeli army and 798 to Israeli attackers.
Two Palestinians were beaten and taken to hospital near the town of Arraba, south of Jenin. The Israeli army bulldozed Palestinian-owned land in the village of Raba, east of Jenin, and widened a road leading to a settlement.
Six people affected by tear gas during a raid on the Faria Refugee Camp in the Tubas governorate received treatment at the scene. The Israeli army raided the city of al-Bireh and the village of al-Mughayyir, while Israeli attackers entered the Old City area of Hebron under the protection of soldiers.
Footage was released showing British activist Finn Joughin, who was in the Masafer Yatta area of the southern West Bank in solidarity with Palestinians, being forcibly taken away by armed Israelis. The Israeli Police said Joughin had been handed over to them and was being held in custody over an allegation of sexual abuse; no independent verification of the allegation was provided.
Attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank have intensified and continued since October 2023. Masafer Yatta is also among the areas where such attacks occur frequently.
