Report: US pressuring Netanyahu to condemn events in Qusra
Following the outpost incident near Qusra, American and Israeli sources claim the White House is demanding that the Prime Minister publicly condemn the rioters' actions.
The United States is pressuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly condemn the actions of settlers who surrounded Palestinian homes in the village of Qusra in Samaria, an American official and an Israeli official told the Reuters news agency on Friday.
According to the report, the American pressure follows nearly a week of settlers surrounding the homes, during which Palestinians claimed they were cut off from water and electricity.
IDF and Border Police forces entered the village of Qusra on Wednesday morning to evacuate an outpost that had expanded into the village area near Palestinian homes.
During the evacuation, a tent set up on the village access road was removed, leading to clashes between settlers and security forces, including the blocking of roads with rocks and repeated attempts to re-erect the tent. In response to the escalation, the Chief of Staff ordered the deployment of an additional regular infantry battalion to reinforce the sector.
The developments occurred against the backdrop of ongoing escalation in the Qusra and Jalud area, where the "Tel Tlpiot" outpost expanded beyond its original footprint, effectively creating a siege for several Palestinian families. Following reports of Israeli citizens seizing land, the IDF Spokesperson issued a statement on Tuesday defining the activity as illegal and unacceptable, leading to the declaration of a closed military zone.
The Chief of Staff conducted a situation assessment with the GOC Central Command and senior operations officials. Following the discussions, he directed the strengthening of operational control and ordered the reinforcement of the Judea and Samaria sector with an additional regular infantry battalion, alongside placing reserve forces on standby.
Hours after the evacuation, Israelis returned to the site. While no permanent infrastructure was found, authorities are investigating whether there was an attempt to re-establish a presence.
The events drew sharp condemnation, most notably from US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who labeled the rioters "terrorists."
"The US Embassy was very involved. The IDF and the Israel Police acted at our request to remove the Israeli terrorists who did this. These actions taken against a family home are criminal. This is a horrific and disgusting act of terror intended to intimidate and harass the family. There is no justification for such bullying behavior."
