Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli police announced Thursday the arrest of a person suspected of participating in an attack launched by dozens of settlers on Saturday on the village of Qusra in the occupied West Bank, which has witnessed an escalation in violence for months.
Published on: 09/03/2026 - 12:29
Dozens of settlers attacked the village, located southeast of Nablus Governorate, and threw stones at its residents, before they entered a house and barricaded themselves in it while Palestinians were present inside, which required the intervention of the Israeli army.
The police said in a statement that the suspect is 19 years old and comes from the northern West Bank, noting that he was subjected to interrogation and that it would ask the court to extend his detention.
The area surrounding Qusra has witnessed increasing tension in recent weeks.
Last month, settlers prevented supplies from reaching Palestinian homes on the outskirts of the village, trapping their residents inside.
The incident sparked strong and rare criticism from the US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, while British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband pledged a strong response to what he described as “horrific intimidation” practiced by Israeli settlers against the Palestinians.
Israeli authorities rarely arrest people suspected of assaulting Palestinians. In light of international criticism, the police pledged on Thursday to continue pursuing those involved in the attack.
She said, "The joint investigation team between the police and the Israeli Internal Security Service (Shin Bet) continues to collect evidence and testimonies with the aim of locating and arresting all participants in this serious incident."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the violence that took place in the village on Saturday, describing it as "criminal."
Israeli media reported that the army on Tuesday relieved a reserve soldier from service after he appeared in a video recording last month praying with other soldiers alongside settlers who were besieging Qasra, instead of intervening against them.
Settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has witnessed an escalation in recent months, after its perpetrators remained largely immune from legal prosecution for years.
About three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, along with more than 500,000 Israelis, in settlements established in the territories occupied by Israel since 1967. The settlements are considered illegal under international law.
Since the outbreak of war in Gaza in October 2023, at least 1,105 Palestinians, including gunmen, have been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers, according to an Agence France-Presse tally based on Palestinian Authority data.
On the other hand, at least 48 Israelis, civilians and soldiers, were killed in attacks carried out by Palestinians or during Israeli military operations, according to official Israeli data.
© 2026 AFP
The content you want to browse is no longer in service or is currently unavailable.
