US-Palestinian says 'terrified' as he returns to property besieged by settlers / Photo: © AFP
US-Palestinian says 'terrified' as he returns to property besieged by settlers
The Palestinian-American owner of a house besieged by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank said on Monday he feared for his safety as he headed back to his property and called for US protection.
Louai Abu Ridi owns one of the three houses in Qusra, near Nablus, which settlers began besieging more than a week ago, trapping residents inside and effectively blocking supplies, 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.
On Monday, the brother shared videos with AFP showing settlers riding quad bikes past the house while Israeli forces were stationed outside.
"I've been watching this live for many days and now this is the second week I can't sleep," Louai Abu Ridi told reporters after he landed at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.
"I can't let the settlers steal my house while I was watching," he added.
Abu Ridi said he was hoping to stay in the house on Monday night, which left him "terrified".
"I'm asking the US officials, the embassy, to provide me protection," he said.
"I 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."
Abu Ridi 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.
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, a staunch supporter of settlers, 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," Huckabee wrote on X on Thursday.
M.A.Walters--TNT
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