Settlers establish new outposts near Ramallah as Palestinian families in Qusra face access restrictions

Israeli settlers have begun establishing new outposts on land near Palestinian villages in the Ramallah area, while three families in Qusra, south of Nablus, are facing restrictions on access to water and other essential services, according to Palestinian and UN sources.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported on Sunday that settlers established a new outpost near the village of Burqa and erected tents in the Wadi al-Zaytoun area, south of Umm Safa, in preparation for another outpost on Palestinians’ privately owned land.

According to WAFA, the establishment of the latter would bring the number of settlement outposts surrounding Umm Safa to six. The area has experienced repeated confrontations and disputes over land amid expanding settlement activity.

Data from the Palestinian Authority’s Commission against the Wall and Settlements indicates that settlers established around 200 outposts across the West Bank during the 1,000 days following the start of the Gaza war in October 2023.

Palestinian figures estimate that approximately 750,000 Israeli settlers live in 156 settlements and around 360 outposts across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are considered illegal under international law, a position Israel disputes.

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Separately, Israeli forces on Sunday detained a sewage truck in Qusra, while Palestinians also reported confrontations involving Israeli forces and settlers in Huwara and the nearby Ras Zeid area.

Local officials said three Palestinian families comprising approximately 13 people have faced severe access restrictions in Qusra’s Ras al-Ain area since 9th August following increased settler activity around their homes.

According to local sources, UNICEF delivered food and medical supplies to the families, but Israeli forces prevented a water tanker from reaching the homes.

Abdul-Azim Wadi, head of the Qusra village council, told WAFA that local authorities have also been unable to restore electricity and water supplies to the three houses.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that settlers installed a gate on a road serving the area, effectively isolating the families’ homes.

READ: Israeli army seizes 16 Palestinian homes in West Bank’s Qusra village, turns them into military posts: Official