Settler siege ramps West Bank tensions as Israel

QUSRA, Palestinian Territories

Israeli forces on Aug. 13 moved against rogue settlers who have besieged Palestinians for five days amid unusually strong U.S. criticism, even as Israel inaugurated a major settlement elsewhere in the West Bank.

Settlers near Nablus since Aug. 9 have blockaded Palestinian homes, including one owned by a U.S. citizen, with residents saying they have been cut off from food and other supplies.

The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, for years a staunch supporter of settlers, said there was “no excuse for such thuggish behavior.”