About 15 Israeli settlers entered the Palestinian village of Kusra in the West Bank on Saturday despite the Israeli military having declared the area a closed military zone, Army Radio reported. Palestinian residents who remained told KAN News they still feel threatened by Jewish extremists in the area.
Settlers enter Kusra again despite IDF closed-military-zone order, residents report ongoing threat
About 15 Israeli settlers entered the Palestinian village of Kusra in the West Bank on Saturday despite the Israeli military having declared the area a closed military zone, Army Radio reported. Palestinian residents who remained told KAN News they still feel threatened by Jewish extremists in the area.
A local resident, Marmar Odeh, told KAN News that settlers in civilian clothes were visible near a house under siege, within meters of army and police personnel. He said settlers had earlier moved through the area with pickup trucks, ATVs, and livestock before the army's arrival drove them away. His principal concern, he said, is that settler attacks on Palestinian homes will increase if the IDF withdraws.
Tensions in the village began on Tuesday and escalated on Wednesday when settlers became involved in physical altercations with IDF soldiers after security forces evacuated a settler outpost. Footage seen by The Jerusalem Post showed extremists dismantling fences, blocking roads, and surrounding the area.
The IDF sent an additional battalion to the village for reinforcement earlier in the week. A military spokesperson told The Jerusalem Post on Friday that the IDF would conduct a probe into the incident, covering why it took the military 48 hours to evacuate the illegal outpost and why the outpost was not removed a second time after settlers returned. 'This was a serious incident, and it will be investigated,' the spokesperson said.
According to Channel 12, the probe will also examine how Palestinian families in the town were evacuated on Thursday after being instructed to leave. The Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday that, while the IDF had sufficient forces to remove the extremists in hours or less, some limits were placed on the force used and some IDF personnel did not fully cooperate with the mission. IDF sources told the Post that military forces may remain in the area for an extended period without specifying a timeframe.
- The source does not state how many Palestinian families remain in Kusra or how many were evacuated on Thursday.
- The source does not state what specific limits were placed on force used by IDF troops, or who imposed those limits.
- The source does not identify which IDF forces did not fully cooperate with the evacuation mission or what actions they declined to take.
- The source does not state how long the IDF intends to maintain a presence in Kusra.
- The source does not include any response or statement from the settlers or their representatives.
- The source does not state the outcome or timeline of the IDF probe announced on Friday.
Read the original at The Jerusalem Post