- Since Wednesday, August 12, Israeli soldiers have been going in and out of isolated homes on a hill in Qusra, in the occupied West Bank.
- The Israeli army claims its removal of residents from their homes is to protect them from settlers who pitched a tent at the foot of their houses, cut off water, electricity, and access to the road, and have been harassing them in an attempt to seize their land.
- For the past two days, the military has made a spectacle of itself in trying, and failing, to evacuate the handful of radical Jewish settlers known as "hilltop youth."
- An initial operation fizzled out on Tuesday when the group of "hilltop youth" resisted the military's advances; the soldiers fired stun grenades and then turned back, leaving a few guards with the settlers, who barred the press from entering.
- Senior commanders deployed a new brigade to the area and dispatched the highest-ranking officers in the West Bank: Their chief, Avi Bluth, began negotiations.
- On Thursday, the army's solution was to evict the Palestinians, announcing a five-day operation in the area, which the 1990s Oslo peace accords placed under the authority of the Palestinian police.
- Abdi Salam Hassan, one of the homeowners, questioned the army's operation, saying, "I don't understand why the army needs to operate in our homes for days to remove these settlers when they could clear them out in an hour," and expressed pride in his sons who refused to leave: "If they had obeyed, they might never have been allowed to return."
Israeli soldiers have been engaged in a five-day operation in Qusra, West Bank, attempting to evict Palestinian residents amid increasing settler aggression. The military's actions are framed as protective measures against radical settlers, known as "hilltop youth," who have been harassing locals and cutting off essential services.1
The Israeli army claims that the removal of residents is necessary to safeguard them from settlers who have pitched tents near their homes, obstructing access to water, electricity, and roads. “I don't understand why the army needs to operate in our homes for days to remove these settlers when they could clear them out in an hour,” said Abdi Salam Hassan, a homeowner whose sons resisted evacuation.
The operation has faced significant challenges, including a failed initial attempt to remove the settlers, which resulted in the military deploying a new brigade and high-ranking officers to negotiate. “If they had obeyed, they might never have been allowed to return,” Hassan added, expressing pride in his sons' defiance.6
The situation has drawn international attention, with US Ambassador Mike Huckabee condemning the settlers' actions as a “horrific act of terror.” The military's decision to evict Palestinians has raised questions about the legality and morality of their operations in an area designated for Palestinian authority under the Oslo accords.
“The army claims it removed residents to protect them from settlers who cut off water, electricity, and road access. Homeowner Abdi Salam Hassan questioned why the army needs days to remove settlers when they could clear them in an hour, and praised his sons for refusing to leave.”
Le Monde.fr
