Three Palestinian families have been surrounded inside their homes in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, by Israeli settlers, who have allegedly cut off their water and electricity supplies.
Security camera footage, released on Wednesday, shows settlers surrounding one of the apartments, while families remain trapped inside.
According to residents, Israeli forces intervened during the day and dismantled a tent set up by settlers, while clashing with about 50–60 people. However, the soldiers were unable to remove the settlers from the area.
Residents have described the situation as part of a campaign to force Palestinians to leave and take their lands.
The Israeli army announced that it will deploy an additional infantry battalion to the area, with the aim of strengthening operational order and control and preventing further incidents.
A day earlier, the Israeli military said it had received reports of settlers entering the area and seizing Palestinian homes and land. The activity was described by the military as "illegal, reprehensible and unacceptable."
The military also said it would take disciplinary action against security personnel filmed in the area over the previous days.
