Israeli settlers storm Palestinian village, seizing home with owner inside

By Abeer Salman, Oren Liebermann, CNN

Jerusalem (CNN) — Israeli settlers stormed a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank on Saturday and seized a home while its owner was inside in the latest brazen settler attack in the area.

Despite the Israeli military saying there were “dozens of rioters” when they arrived at the scene, authorities have yet to announce any arrests as of Sunday evening.

The settlers entered the village of Qusra early Saturday afternoon and began throwing stones at the home of Louay Adli, he told CNN. As he called Israeli police, the crowd swelled to what he estimated was 60 or 70 settlers.

“They surrounded us from all sides and threw stones at all of us,” he said. “This went on for a whole hour until the army came from in front of the house, while the settlers were from behind.”

Adli told CNN the Israeli army “watched and did nothing” before firing tear gas at the house. Video obtained by CNN appears to show a group of Israeli settlers hurling rocks at Adli’s house from one side of the building, while soldiers were operating on the other side.

Adli says he and six others inside the home ran to the roof “because we could not breathe inside. We were suffocating and the army had us trapped with the settlers.” He said Israeli security forces later arrested and blindfolded him before warning him not to return to his own house.

In response to CNN’s request for comment, the Israeli military said it used what it described as “proportionate force” against a Palestinian it accused of resisting and throwing stones.

The official Israeli account acknowledged dozens of rioters were inside the Palestinian home, but did not say why they were able to leave without any arrests.

“Security forces identified dozens of rioters who had barricaded themselves inside a Palestinian home while Palestinian residents were inside,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a joint statement with border police, before they “dispersed using various means.”

Authorities seized three cars used as part of the raid, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. But the IDF said the settlers “dispersed using various means” and that security forces are working “to locate those involved and hold them accountable in accordance with the law.”

As of Sunday afternoon, authorities had not announced any arrests. A spokesman for Israel police said the investigation is ongoing as police work with authorities to gather additional evidence.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the incident in Qusra was a “direct and flagrant defiance of the laws and values of the State of Israel. It is another incident in a disturbing sequence of events that casts a stain on Israel’s image and demands firm and decisive action.”

In recent months, Israeli settlers have repeatedly besieged the village of Qusra, defying orders from the authorities to leave the area and trying to force Palestinian families, some of whom are also American citizens, out. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called the settler violence a “horrific act of terror meant to intimidate and harass.”

More than 700,000 Israeli settlers live in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Most of the international community considers the settlements illegal under international law. Israel’s current right-wing government has made settlement expansion a central priority, advancing plans for thousands of new homes in the West Bank and approving scores of new settlements.

NBC News crew attacked

In a separate incident on Saturday in the West Bank town of Jalud, masked settlers attacked an NBC News crew as they were interviewing a Palestinian woman. The woman, Aida Ahmed Abdullah, told NBC News her family was forced out of their home by settlers. While the NBC crew was carrying out the interview, masked settlers drove up, attacking the team with sticks.

“They jumped out, beat us, then jumped back in the car,” reported correspondent Matt Bradley, who was later treated at a nearby clinic. The Foreign Press Association condemned the attack and called for an investigation, saying in a statement, “This is not an isolated incident — it is part of a recurring pattern of violence against members of the press and Palestinian civilians.”

Ayed Jafry, a Palestinian activist who works near Nablus, including the villages of Qusra and Jalud, told CNN the area was under threat of constant settler attacks. Often, he said, the military works with the settlers instead of stopping them.

“The villages surrounding the city of Nablus are being targeted, specifically in these areas attacks happens on a daily basis,” he said. “The policy of displacement is clear, deliberate, and organized between the army and the settlers.”

Israeli security forces said they were working to prevent further violence in the same area.

“IDF soldiers and Israel Border Police forces continue to operate in the areas of Qusra and Jalud to prevent further disturbances and restore order in the area,” according to their joint statement. “The security forces strongly condemn all forms of violence.”

Breaking his silence, Netanyahu condemned the incidents of settler violence while insisting it was only a “handful of rioters who are violating the law.” In a statement, he said authorities were “conducting a vigorous investigation on the ground, and I expect law enforcement authorities to arrest the rioters and bring them to justice as soon as possible.”

But the settler violence has shown itself to be more widespread than a small band of extremists.

On Thursday, IDF Chief of Staff. Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said he had ordered the military to an elevated level of readiness In the West Bank because of escalating tensions.

“Preparations must be made for the immediate deployment of units and battalions to reinforce the area,” Zamir ordered on Thursday. “The IDF, across all of its arrays, will maintain full, multi-front readiness throughout the holiday period - there will be no reduction in operational forces.”

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