Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, strongly criticized the actions of Israeli settlers who besieged a Palestinian American family’s home in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, labeling it a “horrific act of terror.” The settlers, defying attempts by the Israeli military to intervene, have been causing distress to the family in the village of Qusra since Sunday.
The group of settlers, comprising numerous men, has engaged in hostile activities such as throwing stones, trying to destroy a nearby stone wall, and preventing the family from leaving despite limited provisions. Qusai Abu Rida and his teenage son, who were barricaded in the house for protection, were later relocated by the Israeli military to another residence but are still confined to the area.
Loui Ridi, the owner of the residence, revealed that the settlers had been targeting his property for several months before the situation escalated recently. Huckabee, a staunch supporter of Israel’s settler movement, emphasized that the Israeli military and police were requested to intervene and remove the individuals responsible for the siege.
The incident drew condemnation from various sources, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which denounced the actions aimed at displacing residents from their homes. Amidst escalating tensions, Israeli troops took action to dismantle illegal outposts near Qusra and a neighboring village, detaining one individual in the process.
The international community, including human rights organizations and foreign governments like Canada, has criticized the surge in settler violence in the West Bank. Palestinians and opposition groups in Israel have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of ignoring attacks by settlers. The ongoing expansion of settlements in the West Bank, deemed illegal by many countries, has been a contentious issue, with conflicting perspectives on its legality and implications for a potential Palestinian state.