Huckabee calls West Bank settler siege ‘act of terror’

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Thursday condemned a days-long siege of Palestinian homes by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank as a "horrific act of terror," in a sharp departure from his long-standing support for the settler movement.

The siege, which began Sunday in the village of Qusra near Nablus, targeted three Palestinian homes, including one belonging to a dual US-Palestinian citizen. Settlers blocked roads, cut off water and electricity, and prevented families from leaving, according to residents and local officials.aljazeera+1

"Actions by those who carried out this horrific act of terror meant to intimidate and harass this family are disgusting," Huckabee wrote on X. "No excuse for such thuggish behaviour."english.ahram+1

An Unusual Rebuke

The remarks were striking coming from Huckabee, an evangelical Christian pastor who has previously embraced Jewish settlement in the West Bank and rejected the idea of a Palestinian state. He nonetheless defended the Israeli military's response, saying forces had gone to Qusra at the request of the US embassy "to remove the Israeli terrorists doing this."aljazeera+1

Lou Ridi, the American-Palestinian homeowner, told the Associated Press from Ohio that his 48-year-old brother Qusai Abu Rida and teenage nephew had been unable to leave the house and lacked access to food or water for days. On Thursday morning, the Israeli military evacuated Qusai and his son, though it remained unclear what would happen to the property.siasat

Military Intervention

Israel's military said overnight Thursday it had dismantled "two illegal outposts" on the outskirts of Qusra and the nearby village of Jalud, confiscated equipment, and detained one Israeli. Additional troops were deployed to the area for "defensive missions and patrols."siasat+1

Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that every entrance to Qusra remained blocked by the Israeli army on Thursday morning, preventing other Palestinians from reaching the besieged families.aljazeera

The incident follows a pattern of escalating settler violence in the occupied West Bank. Last month, a mosque in Qusra was set on fire in an apparent settler attack. In the neighbouring village of Jalud, a two-week siege in July forced two Palestinian families off their land before settlers took over the property. More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements considered illegal under international law alongside roughly three million Palestinians in the territory.english.ahram+2