The Israeli military evicted on Thursday about a dozen settlers who had besieged two Palestinian families in their West Bank homes, but several hours later settlers returned.
The Palestinian families had been trapped in their homes since Sunday by Israeli settlers, who had erected a tent nearby and, residents said, attacked them, including with rocks.
On Thursday morning, Israeli soldiers dismantled structures set up in the area by the settlers, confiscated some equipment, detained one settler and dispersed the rest, according to a military statement.
The operation came after heightened media attention, including the disclosure that one of the homes’ owners, Louai Abu Ridi, 46, is an American citizen. Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, condemned the settlers and said the United States had urged Israel to intervene.
“The actions of those doing this to this family’s home is criminal,” wrote Mr. Huckabee, a longtime supporter of the settler movement. He said, “Actions by those who carried out this horrific act of terror meant to intimidate and harass this family are disgusting.”
But just hours after the eviction operation ended in the village of Qusra, located in the northern West Bank, at least nine settlers returned to the site where they were previously encamped outside one of the homes, according to interviews with two residents and video footage reviewed by The New York Times.
“We are still under siege,” said Yousef Hassan, 30, who remains locked inside with his brother and his son. “If the army is here to take out the settlers, why are they not just doing it?” he asked.
Mr. Hassan said his family was running low on food and water.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The military on Thursday also evicted settlers who had taken over another Palestinian house in nearby Jalud, according to its residents. Here, too, the settlers returned shortly after.
The military’s failure to keep settlers away from Qusra village after waiting several days before evicting them underscored the challenge it faces in contending with settler violence. It also highlights the deepening chaos across the West Bank, where hundreds of Israeli settlers have terrorized Palestinian communities with near-impunity all year.
Extremist settlers have carried out at least 1,380 attacks across 250 communities in 2026, according to U.N. data from late July.Those settlers have faced a near-total lack of consequences for their violence.
Former senior Israeli officials who previously oversaw the West Bank now warn that the military is losing its grip on the territory and allowing settlers to run wild.
“The Israeli military lost control in the West Bank,” said Guy Hazut, a reserve brigadier general who once oversaw parts of the territory as a commander.
The settlers seek to drive Palestinians from their land and have displaced several entire communities over the past three years.
The families in Qusra have refused to leave their homes even in the face of persistent attacks.
“We are very afraid,” said Aisha Hassan, 35, who said she was still besieged in her home with her elderly mother on Thursday. “But we won’t leave. Even if it’ll get us killed.”
Adam Rasgon and Gabby Sobelman contributed reporting.
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