Palestinian-American watches with dread as Israeli settlers besiege relatives' homes in West Bank

Al Jazeera English

1,485 views • 30 days ago Save 5 min 3 min read

Video Summary

From 6,000 miles away in Ohio, Loay Reedy watches in real-time via security cameras as Israeli settlers and military forces besiege his family home in the West Bank village of Kusra. For four days, his brother Kusai and 18-year-old nephew Ahmed have been trapped inside without reliable access to food, electricity, or water, fearing that leaving the property will result in its immediate seizure by settlers.

Despite Reedy's desperate outreach to the U.S. Embassy and local congressional representatives, the situation on the ground remains dire. Reedy reports that Israeli security forces have failed to intervene effectively, even allegedly praying alongside settlers on the property, leaving the trapped family to survive on dwindling supplies and backup solar power while facing constant harassment.

Short Highlights

Three Palestinian families in the village of Kusra remain under siege by settlers who have blocked home entrances with tents and rocks.
Trapped residents are facing severe shortages, with electricity and water lines cut and food supplies expected to last only two to three days.
Israeli security forces have allegedly failed to remove the settlers, with reports of soldiers praying alongside them rather than enforcing order.
U.S. officials have promised to escalate the situation to the State Department and White House, but the family reports no tangible change on the ground.
Residents refuse to abandon their homes, fearing that leaving will lead to the immediate permanent seizure of their property by settlers.

Key Details

The Reality of the Siege [01:05]

Loay Reedy reports that his brother Kusai and nephew Ahmed have been trapped in their Kusra home for four days.
Two other families, led by Yusuf and Rizik Hassan, are also being prevented from leaving their homes or receiving supplies.
The settlers have effectively cut off electricity and water lines to the properties.

This is the fourth day my brother has been under siege. And other two families of Hassan, Yusuf Hassan and his brother Rizik, they have not allowed to leave the house.

Security Forces and Settler Conduct [03:00]

Reedy monitors the situation live via security camera footage, observing settlers and IDF forces remaining at the scene.
Reports indicate that at one point, soldiers were seen praying with the settlers instead of enforcing the law.
Although the IDF demolished a settler tent, they reportedly left the area without evacuating the settlers, who subsequently clashed with the soldiers.

And my brother had hope. And he was shocked that they got down and started praying behind the settlers in the same tent and videos all over social media.

Diplomatic and Political Stalls [04:15]

Reedy contacted the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem but was directed back to local police.
Congressional representatives in Ohio have promised to escalate the matter to the State Department and the White House.
Despite these assurances, the family has seen no improvement in their safety or access to basic necessities.

There is a lot of promises in the local offices here that they will help. But right now, we're not seeing anything on the ground has changed yet.

The Fear of Permanent Displacement [05:15]

The trapped residents refuse to vacate their homes, knowing that doing so would result in the settlers taking over the land immediately.
The situation is part of a broader, months-long campaign of harassment against the family's properties on the mountain.
Reedy expresses deep frustration at his inability to protect his relatives from 6,000 miles away.

He does not want to leave the home because if he leaves the home, the settlers will take over immediately.