2026-08-13 · contested story
US diplomat calls Israeli settler siege of West Bank homes ‘act of terror’
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee — a longtime evangelical supporter of the Israeli settler movement — condemned Israeli settlers who besieged three Palestinian homes in the West Bank village of Qusra as 'Israeli terrorists' who carried out a 'horrific act of terror.' The siege, which began Sunday, saw settlers cut off water and electricity, block roads, throw stones, and prevent food and medical access to families including one owned by a Palestinian-American citizen from Ohio. The Israeli military declared the outpost activity 'illegal, reprehensible and unacceptable,' dismantled outposts, disciplined soldiers filmed praying alongside settlers, and eventually deployed additional troops — yet settlers repeatedly returned and the siege persisted for days.
How each side frames it
left
"Israeli militants have besieged two Palestinian families in their homes since the weekend, aiming to take over their properties in the West Bank village of Qusra through a campaign of terror."
"Violence is deployed as part of a broader campaign of ethnic cleansing. Israel has forcibly displaced 64 Palestinian communities over the past three years, the rights group B'Tselem said."
"while settlers commit "daily terror against Palestinian men, women, and children … neither this terror nor ethnic cleansing would be possible without the [Israeli] army's support""
""Despite their repeated attacks, which are aimed at displacing us, God willing, we will remain steadfast and stay in our homes, even if we are martyred," she added."
""Israeli ethnic cleansing in the West Bank is accelerating and expanding in full view of everyone,""
center
"The remarks are especially striking from Huckabee, an evangelical Christian pastor who in the past has embraced Jewish settlement in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, and rejected the idea of a Palestinian state."
"The US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said his embassy had asked Israel to remove the settlers, describing them as "Israeli terrorists"."
"According to the UN's figures, 76 Palestinians – including 18 children - have been killed in the West Bank this year, by Israeli forces or settlers. At the same time, three Israelis – including one civilian – were killed in confrontations with Palestinians"
"The IDF has stressed that the actions in Qusra are not authorized and that both civilians and security personnel involved in unlawful activity will be held accountable."
"Piecing together IDF reports that contradicted themselves and video footage, US and Palestinian reports, it appears that even on Thursday afternoon, multiple "attempts" to clear the Jewish extremists have fallen short."
right
"The vast majority of residents in Judea and Samaria are law-abiding citizens. Those committing violence are a tiny a tiny fraction of the people living there. They do not represent the broader community."
"This council is focusing on one side of the violence while ignoring the other."
"That is why when you actually use the term settler violence, it's a provocation. Why? Because first it denies our connection to the land of Israel."
"Israeli police said the shooting targeted people "purportedly engaged in rock-throwing activities along Highway 60.""
"I think this is great news and have no problem with it at all."
What each side left out
The left left out — covered by the DWS News (via Damage Report listing) & BBC
- Israeli figures on Palestinian terrorist attacks (348 attacks in May 2026 cited by Israel at UN)
- Palestinian ramming/stabbing attacks that killed Israeli civilians like Aviva Maor
The left left out — covered by the DWS News (via Damage Report listing)
- The IDF's specific enforcement statistics — 354 investigations, 20 indictments, 35 arrests in Q1 2026
The right left out — covered by the The Guardian & Middle East Monitor & TRT World
- Scale of displacement — 64 Palestinian communities displaced, more than 4,800 people including 2,300 children since October 2023
The right left out — covered by the The Guardian & BBC & Al Jazeera
- Video of Israeli soldiers praying alongside settlers rather than removing them
- The near-total impunity — only one indictment for 1,100+ Palestinian killings since 2020
The center left out — covered by the Lower Bucks Times & The Guardian
- The broader 'ethnic cleansing' characterization and B'Tselem's systemic framing is often quoted but framed as a claim rather than adopted
- The funding scale — $431 million for 34 settlements
What's actually true?
[verified] US Ambassador Mike Huckabee called the settlers besieging the Palestinian family's home 'Israeli terrorists' and the siege a 'horrific act of terror.'
[verified] The siege of the three Palestinian homes in Qusra began on Sunday, with settlers cutting off water and electricity and blocking access.
[verified] One of the besieged homes is owned by a Palestinian-American businessman (Loui/Lou Ridi) who lives in Ohio.
[verified] Israeli soldiers were filmed praying alongside the settlers, and the IDF said it would take disciplinary action against personnel involved.
[verified] The Israeli military described the settler outpost activity as 'illegal, reprehensible and unacceptable.'
[verified] More than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements, considered illegal under international law, alongside roughly 3 million Palestinians, with 146 settlements and 390 outposts per Peace Now.
[verified] According to UN figures, 76 Palestinians, including 18 children, have been killed in the West Bank this year by Israeli forces or settlers.
[verified] B'Tselem states Israel has forcibly displaced 64 Palestinian communities entirely and parts of 15 others since October 2023, affecting more than 4,800 people including over 2,300 children.
The narrative clash
Whether Palestinian families were evicted from their homes by the IDF
Left: The IDF removed several Palestinian families from their homes in the village of Qusra, near Nablus in the West Bank, during an operation to remove Israeli settlers
Right: the military backtracks on the move, saying that no Palestinians will be moved from their homes as troops operate in the village... However, residents told The Times of Israel that six families had already evacuated their homes before the army backtracked
The characterization of the perpetrators — organized militia vs. fringe minority
Left: Settler militias, backed by the Israeli military, are expanding their attacks into Palestinian villages and towns – seizing land, attacking homes and forcing families out.
Right: Those committing violence are a tiny a tiny fraction of the people living there. They do not represent the broader community.
Whether the term 'settler violence' is legitimate
Left: extremist settlers established illegal outposts in the courtyards of the two homes over the past few days and continue to besiege them
Right: when speaker after speaker refers to settler violence, it is an insult to thousands of years of continuous Jewish history in the land of Israel. Jews have never been and will never be settlers in Judea and Samaria.
46 sources analyzed
Al Jazeera Middle East Eye NBC News The Guardian Haaretz The Washington Post CNN The Damage Report BBC Deadline AP News PBS NewsHour The Jerusalem Post Reuters i24NEWS timesofisrael.com Ynetnews Israel National News Houston Public Media The Arab Weekly France 24 Jewish Rhode Island Al-Monitor middleeastmonitor.com thenationalnews.com www.israelhayom.com TRT World Lower Bucks Times Traverse City Record-Eagle The Media Line Türkiye Today La Voce di New York Newswav Union-Bulletin anews.com.tr The Killeen Daily Herald Bozeman Daily Chronicle - IMEMC News Google Search BBC ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4 click2houston.com Charlie Kirk New York Post Dawn.com Fox News