Qusra: Palestinians in the town of Qusra in the northern occupied West Bank fear losing their homes to Israeli occupiers after the Israeli army evicted families during an operation Thursday. The evictions took place during a large-scale military operation in the Jabal Ras al-Ain area, following days of siege and cuts to water and electricity supplies.
According to Anadolu Agency, the army stated that the operation aimed to dismantle a settlement outpost established in the area. However, residents reported that occupiers remained near their homes as Israeli forces deployed. Qusra Village Council Chairman Abdul Azim al-Wadi shared that hundreds of Israeli soldiers and military vehicles were seen in and around the town before the army took control of 16 homes, ordering residents of some to evacuate.
Al-Wadi explained that the council was informed through the Palestinian military liaison office about the army's plans to dismantle the settlement outpost in Jabal Ras al-Ain. Residents were caught off guard by the sudden deployment of soldiers around and inside Qusra.
Al-Wadi recounted receiving calls from Palestinians in Jabal Ras al-Ain whose homes were surrounded by Israeli occupiers since Sunday. Among those affected were Qusay Abdul Moneim Abu Rida and Yusuf Abdul Salam, who were advised by al-Wadi not to leave the area. Despite this, the army pressured them to relocate to a house belonging to the family of Rizq Abdul Salam, while occupiers stayed near their homes.
Palestinian Abdul Salam Hassan expressed frustration over repeated pressures from occupiers to vacate his home after essential services were cut off. Hassan shared that despite filing over 18 complaints with Israeli police, no action was taken to stop the harassment. On Thursday, the army, accompanied by occupiers, evicted residents from three homes, ordering them to move into the town.
In response, the Israeli army released a statement asserting that its forces were deployed in Qusra to protect residents and maintain security. They claimed that residents were allowed to remain in their homes, contradicting the accounts of evictions by the village council and residents. The army also stated that its forces would not operate inside a Palestinian family home near the settlement structure.
The operation followed four days of siege by Israeli occupiers on three Palestinian families in Jabal Ras al-Ain. The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission reported that occupiers blocked access roads, prevented deliveries of essentials, and cut off water and electricity supplies. Jabal Ras al-Ain has faced repeated attempts to establish a settlement outpost.
Qusra's events occur amid escalating occupier attacks and Israeli military operations across the occupied West Bank. The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission reported 2,256 attacks in July, with 1,458 by the Israeli army and 798 by occupiers. Between October 7, 2023, and June 30, 2026, the commission recorded 12,506 occupier attacks, resulting in 52 Palestinian deaths and numerous property and farmland fires.
Under international law, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are illegal. Palestinians argue that these escalating attacks, land seizures, and home evictions aim to displace them and impose new settlement realities.