West Bank settler attack suspect arrested by Israeli police

Israeli police arrested a 19-year-old suspect on Thursday in a weekend attack by Israeli settlers on the West Bank village of Qusra, near Nablus.

Police said the suspect, described as a resident of the Samaria area in the northern West Bank, had been taken for questioning. They said they expected to ask a court to extend his detention.

Dozens of Israeli settlers attacked Qusra on Saturday, throwing stones at residents and barricading themselves inside a house while Palestinians were inside, prompting the army to intervene.

Last month, settlers blocked supplies from entering Palestinian houses on the outskirts of Qusra, trapping residents inside. The episode drew unusually strong criticism from US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, and Britain's foreign secretary pledged a tough response to what he called “appalling” settler violence against Palestinians.

Israeli police said a joint team with the Shin Bet internal security service was collecting evidence and testimony to locate and arrest others who took part. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Saturday's violence as “criminal acts of violence”.

According to Israeli media, the army dismissed a reservist on Tuesday who was filmed last month praying with settlers who were besieging Qusra, rather than taking action against them.

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

According to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry data, Israeli forces or settlers have killed at least 1,105 Palestinians in the West Bank, including militants and civilians, since the Gaza war began in October 2023. Israeli figures show at least 48 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations in the same period.