U.S. ambassador calls settler siege of Palestinian homes a 'horrific act of terror'

Israeli soldiers stand guard next to settlers in front of Palestinian homes that they have blockaded in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. Nidal Eshtayeh/AP hide caption

JERUSALEM — The U.S. Ambassador to Israel condemned the actions of Jewish settlers who are besieging the home of an American Palestinian family in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee called the siege a "horrific act of terror."

Since Sunday, according to local officials and family members, settlers have gathered near the home in the village of Qusra and harassed those inside, defying efforts by the Israeli military to defuse the situation.

A group that has included up to dozens of men has thrown stones, attempted to bring down a stone wall nearby, and prevented the occupants from leaving despite dwindling supplies.

Speaking to The Associated Press by phone from his home in Ohio, the home's owner Lou Ridi said his 48-year-old brother and nephew, who have been holed up in the home to defend it, had been unable to leave the house and did not have access to food or water for several days.

On Thursday morning, the owner's brother Qusai Abu Rida said that he and his teenage son had been evacuated by Israel's military. It was unclear what would happen to the property and at least one other that has been targeted.

Israeli troops intervened in recent days to try to restore order. The military said that overnight Thursday its troops had dismantled "two illegal outposts" on the outskirts of Qusra and a nearby village, and detained one Israeli. It added that additional soldiers had surged to the area, which is about 16 kilometers (10 miles) of the Palestinian city of Nablus, to "carry out defensive missions and patrols."