US Ambassador Calls Israeli Settlers 'Terrorists' Amid West Bank Tensions

U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee described Israeli settlers who besieged Palestinian homes in the West Bank village of Qusra as "Israeli terrorists."

Huckabee stated on X that Israeli forces went to Qusra at the U.S. Embassy's request to remove the individuals. He posted that the IDF and Israel Police had gone at their request. The actions of those doing this to this family's home are criminal, Huckabee said. This statement marks a departure for the ambassador, who previously told Israel's Channel 14 that the United States respects Israel as a sovereign state and will not dictate its actions regarding the West Bank.

He has also referred to the territory by its biblical names, Judea and Samaria. In Qusra, Israeli forces were deployed to remove settlers who had set up temporary structures at the entrances to Palestinian homes. Cables connecting the homes to electricity and solar panels were cut, and water pipes were damaged, preventing families from leaving or bringing in food.

Israeli activists confirmed the account. The U.S. wants Prime Minister Netanyahu to condemn the settler siege in the Palestinian village, according to officials. Meanwhile, Israeli forces stormed a wedding hall in al-Eizariya town in the occupied West Bank and assaulted Palestinian attendees. In another incident, Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters toward Palestinian homes in the village of Al-Mughayir, northeast of Ramallah, after locals attempted to fend off an attack by Israeli settlers. Israeli forces also occupied several Palestinian homes during an incursion into Beita, south of Nablus.