US Presses Netanyahu to Condemn West Bank Settler Siege

Israeli settlers continued their siege of Palestinian homes in the West Bank village of Qusra on Friday, August 14, 2026, despite growing international condemnation and a direct appeal from the United States for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly denounce the action. The confrontation, now in its sixth day, has drawn sharp criticism from Washington, with White House officials pressing Netanyahu to condemn the settlers after learning that one of the besieged homes belongs to a Palestinian American.

The siege centers on the Ras al-Ain area west of Qusra, south of Nablus, where settlers established an outpost between three Palestinian homes belonging to the families of brothers Rizq and Youssef Hassan and Qusay Abu Rida. Residents have been prevented from moving freely and accessing basic necessities. The United Nations Human Rights Office reported that 15 Palestinians, including two children, were trapped inside their homes with no water or electricity. The UN office stated that the actions, carried out with Israeli support or acquiescence, were making life "intolerable" and were clearly aimed at forcing families from their homes and land.