Israeli forces detained 30 Palestinians during overnight raids across the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, while three Palestinian homes in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus, remained under siege by Israeli settlers for an 11th consecutive day.

The arrests were reported in several parts of the West Bank and included a journalist. The Palestinian Prisoners Club had initially reported 22 arrests before raising the figure to 30.

In Jerusalem, Palestinian officials said Israeli police detained Palestinian Minister for Jerusalem Affairs Ashraf al-Aawar at his home in Silwan. The Jerusalem Governorate later said he was released on bail after being questioned.

In Al-Dhahiriya, south of Hebron, Israeli forces raided several neighbourhoods, searched homes and vehicles and detained eight Palestinians, according to Palestinian reports.

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In Qusra, residents of three homes in the Ras al-Ain area have remained confined by a combination of settler activity and Israeli military restrictions. The area has been declared a closed military zone, according to residents and local officials.

The siege began on 9 August, when settlers erected a tent near Palestinian homes and blocked roads leading to them. Residents have reported restrictions on movement and difficulties receiving food, water and other essential supplies.

The Associated Press reported last week that the three families had been surrounded for six days, with Israeli troops repeatedly intervening while settlers returned after soldiers withdrew. The report said the Israeli military had designated Qusra a closed military zone.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that Palestinian-American Loui Ridi, who owns one of the homes, confronted a settler who entered his property. Israeli soldiers arrived and told the settler that the area was closed, while Ridi said he wanted the settler removed from his land.

Ridi had returned from the United States as concerns grew that settlers could take control of his family's property. Reuters reported that he raised a US flag over the house, describing it as a message intended to deter further encroachment.

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Palestinian Red Crescent teams also transported a Palestinian man to hospital after he was reportedly beaten by Israeli forces in the Ras al-Ain area, according to the material provided for this report.

Qusra's mayor, Abdul Azim Wadi, said the three families were facing difficult conditions because of the continuing restrictions. He warned that the events around Ras al-Ain could become a wider pattern of displacement in the West Bank.

The dispute has drawn international attention. Reuters reported that US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee had condemned the settlers surrounding Ridi's home, while US and Israeli officials said Washington was pressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly condemn the actions.

The incident comes as settler-related violence continues to rise across the West Bank. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs documented more than 1,360 settler-related incidents by the end of July, while AP reported that Palestinian officials had recorded 1,476 attacks during 2026 by mid-August.

OCHA said about 900 Palestinians had been injured in the context of settler attacks during the first seven months of 2026, while more than 2,300 people had been displaced because of settler attacks and related access restrictions.

The three Qusra homes remained under restrictions on Wednesday, while Palestinian families continued to seek access to their homes and essential supplies.