Israeli Opposition Leader Warns of Third Intifada Amid West Bank Tensions
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Yair Lapid, leader of the opposition in the Israeli Knesset, has expressed grave concern over the deteriorating security situation in the West Bank, stating that widespread chaos is currently prevailing in the area. Lapid warned that if the cabinet does not take decisive action, Israel could face a third intifada.
In the field, for the fifteenth consecutive day, Israeli settlers, supported by Israeli military forces, have besieged three Palestinian homes in the “Ras al-Ain” area of the town of Qusra, south of Nablus. Residents are being prevented from entering or leaving these homes. Settlers have blocked the access routes to these residences, while occupying soldiers are also restricting Palestinian movement into the area, significantly increasing pressure on the besieged families. These families are facing severe humanitarian conditions, including a critical shortage of drinking water, as settlers have obstructed water supplies and blocked access routes, further endangering the residents’ living conditions.
Israeli occupation forces have converted one of these homes into a military outpost and have reportedly destroyed some of the occupants’ belongings by throwing them out of the windows. This siege is part of a growing wave of settler attacks against Qusra and other villages and towns south of Nablus, which include road closures, restrictions on residents, damage to property and agricultural lands, and attempts to establish new realities on the ground with the support of the occupying forces.
The siege on these homes commenced on August 9, 2026. Israeli settlers erected a tent near the homes of the Abu Rideh and Hassan families in the Ras al-Ain heights for inspection and surveillance purposes. Subsequently, the access routes to the homes were blocked with stones and earth berms, and their water and electricity supplies were completely cut off for eight days until the municipality managed to repair some of the networks. Currently, three families, comprising approximately 15 individuals, including several women and two children, are living in severe isolation in the area, facing shortages of medicine and food, and extreme limitations on their movement.
The Jebel Ras al-Ain area is considered one of Qusra’s significant locations. Following the settlers’ takeover of “Jebel Ras al-Nakhil” in the eastern area classified under Area C, it represents one of the few remaining open spaces for the town’s residents. In February of this year, settlers established a new livestock farm approximately 300 to 500 meters from the Palestinian homes in this area. Furthermore, on July 26, a mosque in Qusra was set ablaze, with slogans written in Hebrew on its walls.
Data from the United Nations, as reported by the Associated Press, indicates that in 2026, Qusra has been the target of settler attacks more than any other Palestinian gathering in the West Bank, emerging as a key flashpoint in recent months.
