A Palestinian American whose home in the occupied West Bank has been besieged by Israeli settlers for over a week has arrived there to help family members defend the property.
Amer Odeh, 30, who lives in Chicago, said he flew to the West Bank on Sunday after hearing about the escalating situation in his family’s village of Qusra, near the city of Nablus.
“I had to come,” Odeh said in a phone interview Monday. “This is my home. This is my family’s home. I can’t just sit in Chicago and watch it be taken away.”
Odeh said that for the past week, Israeli settlers have been surrounding his family’s home, throwing stones and attempting to break in. He said they have also cut off the water supply and electricity.
“They are trying to force us out,” he said. “They want our land.”
Odeh said that Israeli settlers have been encroaching on Palestinian land in the West Bank for years, but the situation has worsened recently.
“It’s getting more aggressive,” he said. “They feel like they can do whatever they want.”
Odeh said that he and his family have contacted the Palestinian Authority and international organizations for help, but they have not received any significant assistance.
“We feel abandoned,” he said. “We are on our own.”
Odeh said that he and his family are determined to defend their home, but they are afraid of what might happen.
“We don’t want violence,” he said. “We just want to live in peace in our own home.”
Israeli settlers have been increasingly active in the West Bank in recent years, with the number of settlers growing by more than 10% annually.
The international community has largely condemned the settlement activity, viewing it as a violation of international law and an obstacle to peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
However, the Israeli government has continued to support and expand settlements in the West Bank, arguing that they are necessary for security and that the land is historically Jewish.
The situation in Qusra is just one example of the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank, where tensions remain high and violence is a frequent occurrence.
