Israel installs new roadblocks in West Bank's Qusra, deepening Palestinian siege

Israeli forces erected three new roadblocks on the Ras al‑Ain hill in the West Bank village of Qusra on Wednesday, extending a siege that has left dozens of Palestinians trapped in their homes since August 9. The new barriers, described by residents as “large yellow and orange metal bars on concrete blocks,” are intended to tighten control over the area and cut off access to the land and water resources that have been the focus of international criticism.

The roadblocks were installed at key points around the village’s northern hill. One gate was placed at the entrance of a house belonging to Loui Ridi, a Palestinian‑American who returned to Qusra to defend his property after the siege began. Israeli soldiers now stand outside his home, which he has not been able to leave since arriving on August 17. A second barrier sits further up the hill near a house under construction, and a third sits to the left side above a house that is still being built. Together, the three gates encircle the top of the hill, severing the road that runs across the summit and connects Qusra to the neighboring villages of Talfit and Jalud.

Abdel Hakim Wadi, a local farmer whose land lies near one of the new gates, said the barriers “push the Israeli settlers 100 to 150 metres away from our houses, but now they have established checkpoints.” He added that the presence of the gates “is a much more permanent siege.” Wadi’s property, nearly one hectare, is planted with more than 100 olive trees, as well as almonds, figs, and a water well that Israeli settlers have taken over. “I see them bathing in the water that they’re taking out from the well,” he told Al Jazeera. Wadi fears that the gates will prevent him from ever reaching his land, even if the military zone designation were removed in the future.

The siege of Qusra began on August 9 when Israeli settlers blocked access to three homes, a move that drew global condemnation. Israeli forces declared the area a closed military zone, but the siege has continued, with residents trapped inside. The new roadblocks, officials say, are part of a broader strategy to enforce control over the village and its surrounding land.

Ridi, who has a family with two young girls, said Israeli settlers remain in the area surrounding his house and that the Israeli forces are still preventing him and his neighbors from leaving and entering freely. “We have been calling on the US embassy … or the international community to end the siege,” he said. He has previously criticized the lack of action, noting that while there has been “talking, but there’s no action,” the international condemnation has not translated into concrete measures.

The new barriers have drawn attention from human rights groups and the United Nations, who have called for an end to the siege and for the restoration of basic services, including water and electricity, to the affected homes. Israeli officials maintain that the barriers are necessary for security purposes and that the area remains a closed military zone.

According to Wadi, Israel’s ultimate goal is to “grab more land in the West Bank, piece by piece.” He expects the military to replace settlers with soldiers in a show of ending the siege while continuing to restrict movement and access. The latest development underscores the ongoing conflict over land and resources in the occupied West Bank and the continued tension between Israeli authorities and Palestinian residents of Qusra.