Israeli settlers attack Palestinian village of Qusra

On Saturday, August 29, 2026, dozens of masked Israeli settlers attacked homes in the village of Qusra, located south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. During the incident, a group of attackers surrounded a house under construction and pelted it with stones, trapping seven Palestinians inside for over an hour. Local resident Luai Bairuti reported suffering a hand injury from the stoning, while a Palestinian medic noted that two others were injured by rocks and four required treatment for tear gas inhalation. The Israeli military stated that soldiers and border police were deployed to the area to disperse the rioters and protect the residents.

The region has faced heightened tensions for nearly three weeks, with similar incidents of settlers blockading access to villages and besieging residents reported earlier this month in Qusra and Jalud. Following these events, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a rare public condemnation, labeling the actions as criminal violence committed by a "handful of rioters." He stated that such behavior damages the law-abiding Jewish community and hinders the military's mission. Despite this, human rights groups have challenged the characterization of the attackers as a marginal minority, and a United Nations investigation previously indicated that Israeli authorities are directly involved in settler attacks across the West Bank.