US Condemns Israeli Settler Siege of Palestinian Homes in West Bank as 'Act of Terror'

Israeli settlers have besieged two Palestinian families in their homes in the West Bank village of Qusra since Sunday, cutting off water and power, in what the US ambassador has called a 'horrific act of terror.' Israeli troops initially forced the families to leave on Thursday, despite a top commander's promise to end the campaign, and also took over eight other homes in the village before relinquishing six. The military's failure to keep extremists away has highlighted the growing chaos in the occupied territory, with the former Israeli PM describing the events as a 'concerted and meticulous attempt at ethnic cleansing.'