Israeli settlement expansion and Nablus siege spark international condemnation

Israeli settlers, supported by military forces, have besieged three Palestinian homes in Qusra, south of Nablus, for 15 consecutive days. The siege in the Ras Al-Ain area has prevented residents from entering or leaving, creating a water crisis as access to clean water and aid is blocked. Reports indicate that the Israeli military has repurposed one home into a military post and damaged household goods. The area has since been designated a closed military zone.

Separately, foreign ministers from eight Arab and Islamic nations—including Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt—have issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s ‘E-1’ settlement plan. The ministers described the project, which involves tenders for 1,234 new settlement units east of occupied Jerusalem, as a ‘dangerous escalation’ that threatens the geographic continuity of a future Palestinian state and undermines the two-state solution.