Israeli settlers attack Qusra, residents and military say

Dozens of Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Qusra in the northern occupied West Bank on Saturday, residents and the Israeli military said, after nearly three weeks of tension in the area.

Qusra resident Yussef Abdul Kareem Hassan told AFP that villagers were working on a house when a small group of settlers approached. He said the settlers then called for reinforcements, returned with dozens more people, surrounded the Palestinians inside the house and began throwing stones.

The Israeli military said soldiers and border police were sent after reports that Israeli rioters had arrived in the area and that violent clashes had occurred, including stone-throwing toward Palestinians and other civilians.

The military said security forces identified dozens of rioters who had barricaded themselves inside a Palestinian home while Palestinian residents were inside. It said forces worked to remove the settlers from the house, separate the groups and confiscate vehicles suspected of being used to reach the area.

The military said it was aware of reports of Palestinian injuries. It said the vehicles would be used as evidence in a police investigation and that forces remained in the area to prevent further disturbances.

Earlier in August, a group of rogue settlers began blocking supplies from entering Palestinian homes on the outskirts of Qusra, near Nablus, drawing domestic and international condemnation.

More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank, among about three million Palestinians. The settlements are illegal under international law. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.