Israeli military moves as settlers besiege 3 West Bank homes

Israel has sent soldiers to try to protect three homes in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra that have been surrounded by a small group of Israeli settlers for several days.

One of the three homes is owned by a Palestinian American, and the incident prompted an unusually critical reponse from the US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, typically considered an ally of Israel's settler movement.

The case comes amid continued Israeli settlement building, which is considered illegal under international law, in parts of the occupied West Bank, and allegations from critics of the Israeli government that it sometimes turns a blind eye to, or does too little to prevent, settler violence against Palestinians.

Starting on Sunday, a group of settlers started gathering around three houses in the village of Qusra.

One of the buildings belongs to Palestinian-American homeowner Loui Ridi. Local officials said the settlers sometimes numbered several dozen. They supposedly threw strones, attempted to bring down a stone wall, and prevented occupants from leaving their homes as their supplies dwindled.

Ridi's brother, Qusai Abu Rida — who had holed up in the house with his son — said on Thursday morning that they had been moved to another home by the Israeli military but still could not leave the area some 16 kilometers (10 miles) from the Palestinian city of Nablus. Loui Ridi resides in Ohio but owns the property.

Israel's IDF military said its troops had dismantled "two illegal outposts" near the homes, and detained one Israeli. It wasn't immediately clear if the individual was subject to arrest or investigation, or just detention.

The local mayor, Abdel Azim Wadi, said that Israeli forces evacuated seven Palestinian households from their homes to make space for soldiers to take up positions in the village. He said that the settlers remained in other parts of the village, despite being removed from their outposts.