Palestinian-American raises US flag upon return to Qusra home besieged by settlers
The Palestinian-American owner of a house besieged by extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank returned to the home in Qusra on Monday, raising an American flag, as he called for the US embassy to offer him protection.
Louai Abu Ridi owns one of the three houses in Qusra, near Nablus, which settlers began surrounding more than a week ago in an apparent effort to force the residents to flee, trapping residents inside, and generating condemnation around the world.
His brother, Qusai Abu Ridi, is stuck inside the house and has been relaying the situation of residents to the outside world.
Accompanied by several journalists, Louai waited 100 meters (328 feet) from his home’s entrance for around half an hour before a military vehicle escorted the group through his large concrete gate.
The Palestinian-American began construction on the house three years ago on land owned by his grandparents and farmed by his family for generations. He said he wanted his daughters to have a home in Qusra so they could connect to their roots.
He entered the house around 7 p.m., the sunset casting a purple glow on the horizon. Louai went to the roof and raised an American flag.
I was with Palestinian-American Loui Ridi tonight when he made it to his home in Qusra.One of the first things he did was raise an American flag over his house.I’ll have much more on this story soon- pic.twitter.com/xAZpeJrZlH
— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) August 17, 2026
When Louai landed in Israel, he told reporters, “I’ve been watching this live for many days and now this is the second week I can’t sleep,” adding: “I can’t let the settlers steal my house while I was watching.”
Abu Ridi said he was hoping to stay in the house on Monday night, and that he was “terrified for my brother and his son. Fearing for his safety. Now I’m going to fear for my own safety.”
“And I’m not sure how the struggle is going to be for me to get there. And if I get there, are they going to allow me to go in and out freely in my own house? I’ll find out today,” he continued.
Related: From Ohio, a Palestinian American watches as settlers besiege his family in Qusra
Abu Ridi said he was “asking the US officials, the embassy, to provide me protection.”
The Palestinian-American voiced frustration at the Israeli military’s inability to remove a handful of settlers from the site and called for more action to resolve the situation.
“It’s time for everyone to act. I heard a saying in America: Talk the talk and walk the walk. So if they’re talking on social media and they condemn it, so they need an action on the ground,” he said.
After Abu Ridi traveled to Qusra, he first visited his mother’s home, which is not besieged. Photos published by AFP showed emotional reunions with family members.
The Israel Defense Forces last week removed the settlers’ illegal outpost, which they had initially constructed outside the house. But the settlers themselves have frequently returned to the area. So far, one settler has been detained, and there have been no arrests.
For the past two days, soldiers have been stationed at the entrances to the homes, according to footage and residents who spoke with The Times of Israel.
Soldiers have also remained inside one of the besieged homes for the past five days, all in an effort to prevent the reestablishment of the outpost.
However, the Palestinian residents have been told by the IDF that they are still prohibited from leaving their homes.
Settlers were also filmed roaming around the area of the homes on Monday, with several of them seen speaking with the soldiers outside one of the houses for several minutes, even though the area has been declared a closed military zone and Israelis are prohibited from entering it.
United Nations representatives arrived at the homes Sunday, bringing residents food and water, according to videos and accounts from the homeowners who spoke with The Times of Israel.
The homeowners also said the UN representatives brought a water tanker with them, but that security forces did not allow it to remain at the site. The IDF said Monday they had determined that the tanker was not necessary, as the water line to the houses — which settlers had damaged, according to the residents — had been repaired.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has offered unusually strong criticism over the incident in recent days.
“Actions by those who carried out this horrific act of terror meant to intimidate and harass this family are disgusting,” he wrote on X on Thursday.
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Louai Abu Ridi, a Palestinian-American, returned to his home in Qusra, West Bank, on Monday, raising an American flag after it had been besieged by Israeli settlers for over a week. Abu Ridi, whose brother was trapped inside, called for protection from the US embassy, stating, "I can't let the settlers steal my house while I was watching." He expressed fear for his and his brother's safety and frustration with the Israeli military's handling of the situation, urging for concrete action beyond condemnation. The IDF had removed an illegal outpost but settlers continued to return, with residents still prohibited from leaving their homes despite soldiers being stationed there. UN representatives delivered aid, though a water tanker was not permitted to remain. US Ambassador Mike Huckabee condemned the settlers' actions as "disgusting."
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