Dozens of Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Qusra in the northern occupied West Bank on Saturday after nearly three weeks of tension in the area, drawing rare condemnation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Earlier in August a group of settlers began blocking supplies from entering Palestinian houses on the outskirts of the village near Nablus, trapping residents inside and drawing unusually strong criticism from the US ambassador.
Weeks later, Israeli forces continue to operate in the area while settlers still roam the surrounding hills.
On Saturday, Qusra residents and the military said dozens of settlers had descended on the village, throwing stones at residents and barricading themselves inside a house while Palestinians were inside.
In nearby Jalud, NBC News said masked settlers attacked and injured members of its reporting team and a Palestinian woman it had gone to interview.
"I strongly condemn the criminal acts of violence committed in the villages of Qusra and Jalud by a handful of rioters who are violating the law, causing a grave injustice to the law-abiding Jewish community, interfering with the army in carrying out its missions, and harming Israel's standing in the world," Netanyahu said in a statement.
President Isaac Herzog also condemned the attack in Qusra, while Israel's foreign ministry called the violence "a disgrace".
In Qusra, resident Yussef Abdul Kareem Hassan told AFP that a handful of villagers were doing work on a house on Saturday when they were approached by a small group of settlers.
The settlers then called for backup and returned with dozens more, Hassan said, adding that they surrounded the Palestinians inside the house and began throwing stones.
AFP footage of Qusra on Saturday showed dozens of Israeli forces deployed to the site.
- Soaring violence -
The Israeli military said soldiers and border police forces were dispatched "following reports that Israeli rioters had arrived in the area and that violent clashes had occurred, including stone-hurling toward Palestinians and additional civilians".
"Upon their arrival, the security forces identified dozens of rioters who had barricaded themselves inside a Palestinian home while Palestinian residents were inside," the military said in a statement, adding that it was "aware of reports of Palestinian injuries".
It said forces had worked to remove the settlers from the house, separate the groups and confiscate vehicles "that were suspected of having been used to reach the area".
The vehicles would be used as evidence in a police investigation that has been opened, it said, adding that forces continued to operate in the area "to prevent further disturbances and restore order".
Violence by Israeli settlers towards Palestinians in the West Bank has persisted for years, often with little or no legal consequence, but recent months have seen a surge in attacks.
More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the Palestinian territory, which are illegal under international law, among some three million Palestinians.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.
According to an AFP tally based on data from the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli forces or settlers have killed at least 1,103 Palestinians in the West Bank, including both gunmen and civilians, since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023.
Israeli figures show at least 48 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations during the same period.
