LONDON: Britain’s minister of state for the Middle East on Saturday condemned what he called “settler terrorism” in the occupied West Bank, after reports that Israeli settlers had surrounded at least two Palestinian homes in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus.
Stephen Doughty said the violence must stop and urged Israel’s government to enforce the law against those responsible.
In a video posted on X, Doughty said he was “horrified” by scenes in the West Bank in recent days, citing the siege of families in Qusra and what he described as daily attacks on Palestinian communities, including the town of Taybeh.
“Settler violence and settler terrorism are appalling and must end,” he said.
He urged the Israeli government to enforce the law against those involved, saying violent settlers too often act with impunity and that the lack of accountability fuels further extremism.
“Violent settlers must face the full force of the law,” Doughty said. He added that the violence was tied to the expansion of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land, which he said threatened the two-state solution Britain continues to support.
“These activities are illegal,” Doughty said. “They harm innocent civilians, and they only serve to take us further away from peace and security for both Palestinians and Israelis. They must end now.”
The shocking, appalling settler violence and settler terrorism we are seeing, yet again, in the West Bank - must end.
My full statement pic.twitter.com/lr9dtdlarn
— Stephen Doughty HC MP (@SDoughtyMP) August 15, 2026
His comments came as settlers reportedly continued to encircle Palestinian homes in Qusra, where civilians have been cut off from water and electricity for nearly a week, according to media reports.
The violence has also drawn criticism from the United States. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Thursday called settlers besieging a Palestinian home “Israeli terrorists.”
Reuters reported on Friday that White House officials were urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly condemn the settlers’ actions.
Britain has repeatedly described Israeli settlement expansion and settler violence as illegal and as a threat to the viability of a two-state solution.
At an Aug. 11 UN Security Council meeting on Palestine, Sarah MacIntosh, Britain’s permanent representative to the UN, condemned escalating violence across the West Bank.
“Recent attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian villages and communities, in some cases alongside Israeli Defense Force personnel, are appalling,” MacIntosh said, adding that “these are not isolated incidents.”
The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission said settlers carried out 3,488 attacks against Palestinian communities, residents and property during the first half of 2026.
It also said 17 Palestinians were killed by settlers during that period, while 42 new Israeli outposts were established and about 4.4 square kilometers of Palestinian land were seized.
Separately, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded more than 1,300 settler-related incidents since the beginning of 2026, affecting more than 250 Palestinian communities.
MacIntosh called for an end to settlement expansion in the West Bank, saying the settlements are “illegal under international law.”
