Israeli settlers cut off Palestinian families in West Bank village

Israeli settlers trapped two Palestinian families in their homes in the West Bank village of Qusra on Sunday. Settlers and soldiers took up positions outside the houses and stopped the residents from leaving. Workers cut off the water and electricity to both homes. Food supplies ran low during the siege. A two-year-old child needed medical care but could not get it. Settlers also knocked down a wall and used the stones to block the road. Seven people in total were unable to leave, including two young girls. The homes are in Area B of the West Bank, where Palestinians handle local administration but Israel controls security. The United Nations has reported a sharp rise in settler violence across the occupied West Bank over the past year.