Israel makes first arrest of settler involved in recent Qusra attack, police say
19-year-old suspect is from a settlement in the northern West Bank; Herzog tells CNN authorities working hard to curb extremist violence
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An Israeli settler has been arrested on suspicion of participating in a violent attack on the West Bank Palestinian village of Qusra over the weekend, police announced Thursday.
He was the first to be arrested over Saturday’s attack, which saw dozens of Israeli settlers raid the village, take over a home with a family inside, and attack residents, including throwing stones at Palestinians and others.
The suspect, 19, from a settlement in the northern West Bank, was detained by officers following a joint investigation by the Israel Police and the Shin Bet security service, a statement said.
He was taken for questioning and was set to later be brought for a court hearing on extending his custody. His name was not immediately released for publication
No arrests were previously made, even though footage showed the faces of a number of those involved during the attack.
“The joint investigative team from the police and Shin Bet continues its efforts to collect evidence and gather testimony to locate and arrest everyone who took part in the serious incident,” the statement said.
The attack, which saw dozens of settlers descended on Qusra from a nearby hillside and occupy a Palestinian home there, was the latest in a string of assaults there. The village was besieged by settlers in recent weeks, amid a months-long surge in settler violence. Saturday’s attack, in addition to an attack on a crew of journalists in the nearby Palestinian town of Jalud, drew international condemnation.
President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also condemned the attack, though Netanyahu attributed it to a “handful of rioters” who don’t represent the settler community.
Herzog insisted that Israeli authorities are taking rampant settler violence seriously, after he was pushed on the topic during a CNN interview on Wednesday.
He called the perpetrators “juvenile delinquents” and claimed that “there is a major effort by our authorities to undermine these activities and bring people to justice.” He noted that a series of arrests was carried out earlier this week, though most of the near-daily settler attacks do not lead to arrests or prosecutions.
Herzog likened the phenomenon to “inner-city violence,” though the perpetrators in the West Bank often profess to be acting out of ideological nationalist motives and seek to expel Palestinians from the West Bank.
Still, Herzog called the Jewish extremists behind the daily attacks on Palestinians a “shame on the face of Israel,” repeating a sentiment he has expressed previously.
My full interview with @Isaac_Herzog. We discuss the increasing settler violence in the West Bank, the upcoming Israeli elections and the status of the Gaza board of peace. pic.twitter.com/dLqM1FUfLJ
— Bianna Golodryga (@biannagolodryga) September 2, 2026
The weeks-long siege on a number of Palestinian homes in Qusra, located southeast of Nablus, has drawn international attention to the village and has caused a prolonged military deployment in the area, which itself has led to the forced displacement of several Palestinian families from their homes.
The army says its forces have maintained a presence in the area to prevent settlers from rebuilding makeshift structures and again blocking access to the residents’ homes.
Footage from Saturday’s settler raid on the village showed that IDF soldiers were in the area when it occurred but stood by and allowed the rampaging extremists to attack a home on the outskirts of the town.
In recent months, the West Bank has seen near-daily settler harassment and attacks on Palestinians and their property. Arrests in such incidents are rare, and prosecution is rarer still.
Critics of the government have accused the IDF and Netanyahu’s coalition of condoning or even encouraging the settler attacks. Troops are regularly filmed not taking action in the face of settler violence, and IDF brass has warned that the attacks could spark an escalation of violence in the West Bank.
‘Violent riot’ led to deadly IDF fire
Separately, the IDF said Thursday that a deadly incident the night before in the West Bank village of al-Mughayyir took place while troops were securing the return of livestock belonging to Israeli civilians.
Two 19-year-old Palestinians were killed by gunfire, according to the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry, after troops and settlers were seen in video clips entering the village in the Ramallah area.
Israeli settlers, under the protection of Israeli occupation forces, raid the home of Palestinian citizen Nabil Abu Alia in Al-Mughayyir, near Ramallah, stealing dozens of sheep. pic.twitter.com/TY9UobNqyS
— PM of Palestine (@PalestinePMO) September 3, 2026
Responding to a Times of Israel inquiry, the IDF said that troops “secured the entry of Judea and Samaria District Police officers and a civilian into the village. The entry was secured for the purpose of retrieving livestock belonging to Israeli civilians that had been located in the area of the village. The animals were identified based on distinguishing marks indicating that they belonged to Israeli civilians.”
While that was happening, the IDF said, “a violent riot developed in the area, during which terrorists hurled concrete blocks and stones at the troops. The troops responded by firing at key instigators in order to remove the threat. Hits were identified.”
The military added that “the events leading up to the incident and the handling of the incident are being reviewed.”
A post to the official X account of the office for the Palestinian Authority prime minister claimed that setters, protected by the IDF, were “stealing dozens of sheep.”
WAFA, the PA’s official news agency, described the incident as an attack by settlers and Israeli forces.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.