Palestinian-American Faces Settler Siege in West Bank
On August 18, 2026, Palestinian-American Loui Ridi from Ohio observed through security cameras as Israeli settlers besieged his property in Qusra, a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. This incident underscores the increasing trend of settlers unlawfully seizing Palestinian homes, a pattern exacerbated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s initiatives to establish and legalize settler outposts.
For a week, while monitoring the situation from Toledo, and with additional houses besieged in the area, Ridi, 46, informed Reuters of his decision to fly to Tel Aviv to reclaim his childhood home. During this period, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned the settlers as “terrorists.” On August 17, Ridi was seen greeting his mother, Aisha, in Qusra, with tensions still high despite Israeli troops being deployed supposedly to maintain order. Yet, settlers persisted in the region, and the local Palestinian population remained fearful to venture outside, as reported by Reuters.
“I can’t let the settlers steal my house while I was watching,” Ridi commented to Reuters upon arriving at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport.
Witnessed by Reuters, Ridi’s return to Qusra included navigating a landscape where settlers and Israeli troops were present. He joined journalists under military escort to his family home. Once arriving, he displayed an American flag on the rooftop, proclaiming, “The settlers shouldn’t be here.”
Increasing Settler Violence
Despite international laws labeling these West Bank settlements as illegal, Israel’s current right-leaning government, under Netanyahu’s coalition, promotes their expansion. The Israeli government argues the settlements are lawful under domestic regulations and views the territory as contested.
In recent years, CBS News provided firsthand accounts of escalating settler violence, with claims from activists and the U.N. of an intensifying trend since the conflict sparked by Hamas’s attack in 2023. Critics argue Netanyahu’s administration, with ultranationalist, pro-settler representation, has emboldened settler aggression.
Occupied by Israel since 1967, the West Bank is home to over 500,000 Israeli settlers, in contrast to its approximately three million Palestinian residents.
Trapped Under Siege
Ridi initiated the construction of his Qusra home in 2023 on ancestral land, aspiring to anchor his daughters in their cultural roots. Meanwhile, his brother Qusay, with a nephew, remains in the family home facing severe conditions to thwart settler encroachment.
The U.N. notes that 15 Palestinians, including two children, are currently trapped in houses without essential services like water and electricity in the village. From 2017 to 2025, recorded fatalities in the West Bank have exceeded 1,500 Palestinians, due to both settlers and Israeli forces.
On his future intentions, Ridi expressed a desire to reunite with his brother and assess their well-being. This situation remains a pivotal issue within the broader dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.