Activists attempt to deliver supplies to besieged Palestinian families

Activists attempted on Friday to deliver supplies to Palestinian families under an almost week-long siege by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.

A few dozen people led the march towards the blockaded houses holding a Palestinian flag, signs reading "Justice for All", and donations for the families.

Israeli troops prevented the group, which included foreigners and left-wing Israeli activists, from entering the homes, claiming the area was a “closed military zone”.

The donated supplies, including water, drinks, and snacks, were dropped near the gates of one of the houses where heavily armed Israeli security forces were stationed.

Military officials said they would check them before allowing the supplies into the house, where residents could be seen looking down from a balcony.

The families’ ordeal began on Sunday when the settlers set up a tent blocking the entrance to three homes on the edge of the village of Qusra near Nablus.

They cut water and electricity supplies and prevented an ambulance from reaching a sick toddler, defying attempts by the military to remove them.

The siege has drawn international criticism, including from the United States. One of the homes is owned by a US citizen.

Attacks by settlers against Palestinians and their property have intensified across the occupied West Bank since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023.

Against the backdrop of the siege in Qusra, Defence Minister Israel Katz said he had instructed the army to prepare a plan to transfer all enforcement of civilian matters regarding settlers to the police.

The measure, if implemented, would be a step towards Israeli annexation of the Palestinian territory.

Several ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government openly call for the seizure of all or part of the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967.

Currently, with the area an occupied territory, enforcement powers regarding settlers sits with the Israeli military.

Israeli media have reported however that a transfer of these powers would be highly unlikely to go through before national elections scheduled for 27 October, which polls show are looking tight.

Yesterday, the Israeli military said troops had been deployed in Qusra "to protect the residents and maintain security in the area".

The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, for years a staunch supporter of settlers, yesterday criticised the siege, saying there was "no excuse for such thuggish behaviour".

"Actions by those who carried out this horrific act of terror meant to intimidate and harass this family are disgusting," he wrote on X.