The United States wants Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu to publicly condemn militant settlers who have besieged Palestinians in their ​homes in the occupied West Bank, US and Israeli officials said on Friday, as settlers pressured residents by pitching a new tent before Israeli soldiers arrived and it ‌was taken down.Settlers have been encircling homes in Qusra for almost a week after cutting off water and electricity, trapping Palestinians in an area where rights groups say settlers are mounting a concerted effort to seize more land, further eating into territory where Palestinians aim to establish a state.Their actions have drawn public US criticism: the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee – a strong supporter of Jewish settlement in the West Bank – on Thursday condemned settlers besieging a Palestinian home ​as “Israeli terrorists”.A US official and an Israeli official said on Friday White House officials were pressing Netanyahu to publicly condemn the settlers’ actions.Washington began to protest after learning that the ​home of a Palestinian-American was among those targeted, said the two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive discussions, of which they ⁠had knowledge.Netanyahu has not commented on the siege in Qusra. Neither his office nor the White House immediately responded to requests for comment.Violence by Jewish settlers in the West Bank ​has risen during the three years since the Hamas-led October 7th attacks on Israel.Condemning settlers could be politically risky for Netanyahu just two months before an election.Despite the deployment of troop reinforcements to Qusra, militant settlers on Friday morning briefly re-erected the tent outside a Palestinian home. Israeli troops remained in a number of Palestinian homes, claiming the move was necessary to prevent more settlers returning to the area to lay siege on Palestinian families.[ Netanyahu calls UK ‘the Islamic Republic of Britain’Opens in new window ]The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Friday it would investigate this week’s events in Qusra, examining why it took soldiers 48 hours to initially evacuate the illegal outpost set up by extremist settlers, and why it took an additional day to remove the outpost a second time after the settlers returned.The IDF also said it would investigate the conduct of troops who were sent to evacuate the outpost but failed to do so.Following the criticism over the inability of troops to remove violent settlers from the area, Israeli defence minister Israel Katz on Friday ordered the military to prepare a plan to transfer civilian law enforcement in the occupied West Bank to the police.According to the defence ministry, the police would establish a dedicated force to handle civilian matters in the West Bank and receive the authority and funding required to carry out the task. “The army’s role is to combat Palestinian terrorism ... and not chase hilltop youth,” Katz said, using the term that describes the radical settlers who have established scores of unauthorised outposts across the West Bank.Critics say shifting power to civilian rather than military authority signals Israel’s intention to further annex the territory. Palestinian vice-president Hussein al-Sheikh said: “This step constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, international legitimacy, resolutions and signed agreements and a new attempt to impose Israeli law and sovereignty on the occupied West Bank.” He called on the UN security council to stop what he termed Israel’s unilateral actions.Gilad Kariv, a parliamentarian from the left-wing opposition Democrats party, said the move was contrary to Israeli and international law and would not be implemented.‘’It sends a clear message to IDF troops on the ground: Do not act against Jewish terrorism and the hilltop youth gangs. Commanders who do act will be punished,” he said.