Israeli forces clash with settlers over Palestinian families
Israeli security forces confronted settlers who had trapped Palestinian families in their homes in the West Bank, leading to clashes.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Israeli security forces have clashed with Jewish settlers who have been laying siege to Palestinian families in the village of Khusra, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. The settlers trapped two families in their homes on Sunday, cutting off water and power, and have been trying to force them out. The situation has escalated over five days, with tear gas used by soldiers to try to disperse the settlers, though they returned shortly after.
The families inside the besieged houses described their ordeal. One man said: "We have been deprived of all necessities. They cut off the electricity and water and the supply of healthcare. We are unable to leave now and our situation is tragic." Another resident, whose daughter became ill, said an ambulance was prevented from reaching her. Some families managed to flee, but one woman, Rokhaya Hassan, is now homeless with her two daughters.
The Israeli military said it moved in to clear the settlers, describing their actions as "illegal, reprehensible and unacceptable." But Palestinian residents and human rights groups accuse the army of allowing settler violence to continue with impunity. In one incident earlier in the week, soldiers were filmed praying alongside the settlers they were meant to be dispersing. The military has promised disciplinary action over that.
In a separate development, Israeli forces raided the main village of Khusra and took over around a dozen Palestinian homes, putting families out on the streets. One man said: "They came in and broke down the door, shouting, open up, open the door." The army also dismantled illegal settler outposts, but the settlers later returned.
The violence is part of a broader surge in settler attacks across the West Bank. The United Nations says there are on average six attacks on Palestinian communities every day this year. More than 100 Palestinians have been injured and six killed by settlers in 2025. The mayor of Khusra, whose brother and nephew were killed by settlers two years ago, said things have never been as bad. He reported that settlers have torched mosques, stolen livestock and chopped down trees.
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, called the settler action "a horrific act of terror" and "Israeli terrorism." This rare rebuke from Washington has further strained relations between Israel and its closest ally. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has criticised settler violence in the past, but his government includes far-right ministers who support settlement expansion. Over the past few years, the government has approved more than 100 new settlements, compared with six in the preceding decade.
Palestinian rights groups say the siege is a deliberate tactic to drive families from their land. Shai Parnes from B'Tselem said: "It's part of the pattern... the settler militias, the Israeli army, and the Israeli politicians." He called on the international community to take concrete action against Israel, saying the current approach of statements has failed. The Israeli military has not yet removed all settlers from the area, and activists say they remain outside the houses tonight.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News | BBC One | Channel 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Israeli security forces clashed with settlers who had trapped two Palestinian families in their homes in the occupied West Bank. | |||
| Palestinians and human rights groups accused the military of allowing settlers to act with impunity and rarely prosecuting violence. | · | ||
| All settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law. | · | · | |
| Palestinian families reported that water and power had been cut and food supplies were dwindling. | · | · | |
| Settlers aim to make life so difficult for Palestinians that they flee. | · | · | |
| Soldiers were filmed praying alongside settlers at the West Bank site. | · | · | |
| Tear gas was used in an attempt to get settlers to back off. | · | · | |
| The Israeli government approved over 100 new settlements in recent years, compared to six in the preceding decade. | · | · | |
| The Israeli military leadership criticised the latest settler violence. | · | · | |
| The mayor of Khusra said his brother and nephew were killed by settlers two years ago. | · | · | |
| The military said it would take disciplinary action against the soldiers involved. | · | · | |
| The United Nations reported up to six settler attacks on Palestinians per day. | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News focused on the human rights and international law dimensions of the story. It gave significant airtime to an interview with Shai Parnes from B'Tselem, who framed the events as part of a broader policy of ethnic cleansing. The channel also highlighted the Israeli military's own condemnation of the settlers and the soldiers praying with them, and stressed that all settlements are illegal under international law.
- “The United Nations says there's as many as six attacks happening on a daily basis.”
- “It's nothing new, and I have to say that this condemnation or a statement by the Israeli military are insulting.”
- “It's about the time that the international community and the EU and other major European countries will take action.”
BBC One West provided the most on-the-ground reporting, with John Donnison in Khusra. It highlighted the human impact through interviews with trapped families, the mayor, and a Palestinian American homeowner. The channel also gave prominence to the US ambassador's rare rebuke and the Israeli army's bulldozing of outposts, while noting that settlers returned and that Israeli forces also took over Palestinian homes.
- “We have been deprived of all necessities. They cut off the electricity and water and the supply of healthcare.”
- “The settlers have been very dangerous since 2011. They have torched some mosques here in Khusra.”
- “What's really mattered to everybody and to me is how come the settlers are able to walk freely around the house as we speak right now.”
Channel 4 News framed the siege as a brazen and shocking new tactic to seize land. It highlighted the political backing settlers receive from far-right government ministers and the failure of the army to protect Palestinians, including footage of soldiers praying with the settlers. The report also stressed the rising number of settler attacks and the approval of over 100 new settlements, connecting the local incident to a wider strategy.
- “They've been laying siege to three Palestinian homes for five days, blocking anyone from entering, attempting to drive the residents out.”
- “The settlers enjoy support at the highest levels of power.”
- “The impunity they enjoy is said to be further straining relations between the Israeli government and its closest ally, the US.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.