Daijiworld Media Network - Qusra
Qusra, Aug 18: Palestinian-American Loui Ridi returned to his family home in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra on Monday, reuniting with relatives who had remained inside the property for more than a week as Israeli settlers surrounded several Palestinian homes and restricted residents' movement.
Ridi, 46, who lives in Toledo, Ohio, had been monitoring the situation through security cameras installed at his house. After watching the siege unfold for seven sleepless nights, he travelled from the United States to the region, saying he could not stand by while his home was threatened.
“I can't let the settlers steal my house while I was watching,” Ridi told reporters after arriving at Ben Gurion Airport, according to Reuters.
Ridi grew up in Qusra and built the house around three years ago on land belonging to his grandparents and farmed by his family for generations. He said he wanted his daughters to have a home in the village so they could remain connected to their roots.
The house was one of three Palestinian homes that had been surrounded by settlers for more than a week. Ridi's brother, Qusai Abu Rida, and his teenage son had remained inside the property to protect it.
According to Reuters, the settlers had cut off water and electricity to the house, leaving the family without basic services. The United Nations has said that Palestinians, including children, were among those trapped inside homes in Qusra during the siege.
When Ridi finally reached Qusra on Monday evening, he first reunited with his mother and sister before proceeding to his house. He was accompanied by journalists and was escorted through the area by the Israeli military.
As he approached the property, settlers could still be seen in the vicinity while Israeli troops patrolled the area. Ridi waited about half an hour around 100 metres from the entrance before a military vehicle escorted him and the journalists through the large concrete gate, Reuters reported.
Upon entering the house at around 7 pm, Ridi went to the roof and raised an American flag.
“The settlers shouldn't be here,” he said, arguing that his property is located in an area that came under Palestinian Authority control under the Israeli-Palestinian agreements of the 1990s.
Ridi said he wanted to spend time with his brother after the reunion and find out how the family had managed during the siege.
“I should be able to go to my house freely, anytime I want,” he said, describing the situation as a “frustration and a nightmare for the entire family”.
The siege in Qusra has attracted international attention, with the United States condemning the actions of the settlers. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee described the siege as an “act of terror”. The Israeli military said it had deployed troops to the area to maintain order and protect residents.
Israel subsequently declared the neighbourhood where Ridi's home is located a closed military zone. However, footage recorded by Ridi's brother showed Israeli soldiers continuing to interact with settlers in the area, according to AP.
The incident comes amid a broader increase in violence and attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Reuters reported that Qusra residents have faced repeated attacks for months, including damage to property and restrictions on access to homes and basic services.
The United Nations has also documented repeated incidents affecting water and electricity infrastructure in Qusra and other West Bank communities.
The wider situation has drawn increasing international concern as settler violence and displacement of Palestinian communities continue across the West Bank. AP reported that Palestinian health officials say 87 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops and settlers in the West Bank this year, while three Israelis have been killed by Palestinians.
Ridi's return to Qusra brought a highly personal dimension to the wider crisis, as he travelled thousands of kilometres to stand with his family and reclaim access to a home he built on his ancestral land.