Two senior leaders of the Israeli settler movement on Thursday publicly condemned attacks on Palestinians and Israeli security forces near the West Bank village of Kusra, with Yesha Council chairman Yisrael Ganz saying the events were 'not our way' and Beit El Council head Shai Alon describing those responsible as 'criminal offenders.'
Senior settler leaders publicly condemn violence near Palestinian village of Kusra
Two senior leaders of the Israeli settler movement on Thursday publicly condemned attacks on Palestinians and Israeli security forces near the West Bank village of Kusra, with Yesha Council chairman Yisrael Ganz saying the events were 'not our way' and Beit El Council head Shai Alon describing those responsible as 'criminal offenders.'
The statements followed several days of tensions in the Kusra and nearby Jalud areas of the northern West Bank. The Israel Defense Forces said Israeli civilians had entered Palestinian homes and land in the area earlier in the week, describing the activity as 'illegal, reprehensible, and unacceptable,' and subsequently declared the area a closed military zone.
Dozens of settler extremists clashed with IDF forces on Wednesday after security forces evacuated an outpost established near Kusra. Footage seen by The Jerusalem Post showed extremists dismantling fences, blocking roads, and surrounding the area. Security forces demolished two unauthorized outposts near Kusra and Jalud overnight Wednesday, the IDF said, and one Israeli was detained.
Golani Brigade Battalion 51 was deployed to the area to carry out patrols and security missions. Central Command chief Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth visited the area and met with a Palestinian family living there, the IDF said, with commanders expressing concern over the conduct of Israeli civilians toward the family and ordering measures to restore order.
Ganz, who also heads the Binyamin Regional Council, said the violence should be condemned regardless of what he described as attempts by opponents of the settlement movement to exploit the events politically. He also called on the Israeli government to repeal the Oslo Accords and permit regulated Jewish settlement throughout open areas of the West Bank.
- The source does not state the specific dates earlier in the week when Israeli civilians entered Palestinian homes and land.
- The source does not include any response or statement from National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir or MK Limor Son Har-Melech regarding Alon's criticism of them.
- The source does not include any statement from the Palestinian residents of Kusra or Jalud regarding the events.
- The source does not specify the identity or number of individuals detained beyond noting one Israeli was detained.
- The source does not state whether any formal legal proceedings have been initiated against those responsible for the violence.
- The source does not detail the current status of the Israeli civilian who was detained.
Read the original at The Jerusalem Post