Palestinians trapped in their homes by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank town of Qusra are running out of food as the siege enters its 12th day.
Archiv: Blockaden / Belagerungen / blockades / sieges
‚Violence, dispossession, and destruction‘: Israeli forces and settlers launch 467 West Bank attacks in one week
Israeli forces and settlers launched at least 467 attacks on Palestinian communities across the occupied West Bank over the past week, the Palestinian prime ministerâs office said.
In a post on X, the office said the violence damaged 75 Palestinian homes and other structures.
It described the attacks as part of a ârelentless escalation of violence, dispossession, and destructionâ.
Israel/OPT: Siege of Palestinian homes in Qusra marks relentless escalation in state-backed settler violence
(August 14, 2026)
âThe three families under siege have been threatened, harassed and attacked by Israeli settlers from nearby outposts for several months. They have been confined to their homes since Sunday 9 August, are running out of food, and lack access to basic necessities, including running water. The homes targeted in these attacks are located in Area B of the West Bank, supposedly under Palestinian administrative control and Israeli military control, according to the classification of the Oslo Accords. Yet Palestinian Red Crescent ambulances trying to deliver food and water to the homes were also attacked by settlers. Despite these violent attacks, Israeli forces allowed the settlers to remain close proximity to the Palestinian familiesâ homes.
âFor far too long, the world has ignored the immense, unfathomable suffering of Palestinians being uprooted and erased from land they have inhabited for generations. The international community must stop treating such incidents as âisolatedâ and instead hold Israel accountable.â
Palestinian families still under siege by settlers in Qusra in the West Bank
(August 14, 2026)
Palestinian families near Qusra in the occupied West Bank say they remain trapped in their homes, six days after far-right Israeli settlers moved into the area. Despite U.S. pressure on Israel to disperse the settlers, residents say some still remain, while the IDF continues to be present â for now. NBC News‘ Matt Bradley reports.
Colonists attack Qusra municipal crew as Israeli forces detain three
NABLUS, August 15, 2026 (WAFA) â Israeli colonists on Saturday attacked a team from the Qusra municipality south of Nablus as it attempted to restore electricity to homes that have been under siege for about a week, while Israeli forces detained three members of the crew.
Local sources told WAFA that the municipal crew headed to the homes after receiving coordination to restore electricity, which colonists had cut off more than a week ago. The colonists attacked and surrounded the crew before Israeli forces intervened and detained three of its members.
Meantime, colonists continued to besiege the homes of three Palestinian families in Qusra amid a deployment of Israeli forces in the area, the sources said.
U.S. ambassador calls settler siege of Palestinian homes a ‚horrific act of terror
(August 13, 2026)
Huckabee‘s post on X was an unusually sharp rebuke from a U.S. official, even as he defended the Israeli military‘s response. Huckabee is a longtime ally of Israel‘s settler movement and in the past has expressed support for Israeli control over the occupied West Bank while condemning settler violence.
Occupied West Bank: Settler siege of Palestinians marks a new low
(August 13, 2026)
Three Palestinian families â around 15 people in total, including at least two children â have remained confined to their homes âin a state of terrorâ in the Ras al Ein area of Qusra village, south of Nablus, OHCHR said, alleging that the settlers had cut their power and water.
âThese criminal actions by the settlers, supported or acquiesced to by Israel, the Occupying Power, are making life unbearable for these Palestinian families and are clearly aimed at forcing them to leave their homes and their land,â the UN office said. âTime is running out for these three families before they are forcibly displacedâ.
Iranâs Supreme National Security Council issues drastic new demands of the US, as conditions for reopening Hormuz
Iranâs politburo-like body known as the Supreme National Security Council says the Strait of Hormuz will not open until the United States âcorrects its behavior,â and issues drastic new demands that could shake up talks on a deal to manage the waterway and traffic on it.
Iranâs state broadcaster publishes the statement by the councilâs secretary, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, who is also a commander in the powerful Revolutionary Guard.
Yemenâs Houthis claim 8 Saudi oil tankers diverted via Cape of Good Hope
Military spokesperson says maritime blockade has forced Saudi tankers to avoid Red Sea route
14 countries back Saudi-led multinational maritime defense alliance proposal
Fourteen countries have backed a Saudi proposal to establish a multinational âMaritime Defense Alliance,â aimed at protecting international shipping routes and global trade, Saudi Arabiaâs Ministry of Defense said in a statement Thursday.
The countries are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia.
The ministry said military chiefs and other representatives from 43 countries attended a meeting on the initiative, either in person or by video link. A European Union delegation also took part.
Report: Saudi Arabia To Announce New Red Sea Coalition To Counter Yemenâs Ansar Allah
While the new blockade has disrupted shipping in the region, Ansar Allah hasnât announced a blanket ban on shipping through the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Some Chinese ships loaded with Saudi crude have also been able to pass through the strait, and Reuters reported that Beijing had cleared each passage with Sanaa.
But as the US-Iran war and conflict across the region are escalating again, the chances of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait being completely closed are rising. The Al-Monitor report, which cited two diplomatic sources and an unnamed US official, said that Riyadh has invited around 50 nations to join the Red Sea coalition, but that US support was seen as vital for the initiative to take off, and it was unclear at this point if Washington would participate.
Saudi military strikes Houthi targets in Yemen after the Iran-backed militia attacked Red Sea shipping
Saudi Arabia said on Saturday that its coalition forces struck Houthi militia in Yemen after the Iran-backed group claimed to have attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea earlier in the week.
Air defenses in Saudi Arabia reportedly intercepted two ballistic missiles from Yemen.
The latest salvos appeared to indicate an escalation in fighting in a second front in the Iran war.
Trump tells Axios he‘s considering a „bigger than ever before“ attack on Iran
„I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it,“ Mr. Trump told Axios, adding that he believed Iran‘s leaders „want to negotiate,“ but aren‘t yet ready to make a deal.
„They haven‘t received enough pain yet,“ he told the outlet.
U.S. forces carried out a 12th consecutive night of strikes across Iran on Wednesday, and Mr. Trump warned in a social media post Thursday that the Islamic Republic and its Houthi allies would both face „major military punishment“ if the Yemeni rebels repeat their attacks from earlier this week on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.
Watch: Houthi spokesperson says group targeted Saudi oil tankers
(10 hours ago)
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said its armed forces targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, claiming the vessels had violated a ban imposed by the group.
Saudi Arabia‘s state media later confirmed that one of its vessels was struck and the bow of the ship caught fire, with a source adding that all crew members onboard Encelia were safe.
Trump Suggests He Could Restart Yemen Bombing Campaign in Response to Red Sea Blockade
President Trump on Tuesday suggested he could restart a bombing campaign in Yemen in response to the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, enforcing a blockade on the Red Sea.
Trumpâs comments came after Ansar Allah announced a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia, which came a week after the Saudis bombed Yemenâs Sanaa airport to prevent the landing of a plane carrying a Yemeni delegation from Iran to enforce its long-standing blockade on the country that was eased under a 2022 ceasefire deal but never fully lifted.
Yemenâs Houthis announce maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia
Yemenâs Iran-backed Houthi rebels announced a maritime embargo of their foe Saudi Arabia after the two sides traded fire last week for the first time in years.
The rebels âdeclare a maritime embargo against the criminal Saudi enemy, based on the equation of âan eye for an eye,â effective immediately upon the issuance of this statementâ, military spokesman Yahya Saree said
As the Iran war upends energy flows, Russia is emerging as the real winner
(March 10, 2026)
For Russia, which remains one of the worldâs largest oil exporters despite Western sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine, the price rally directly translates into stronger state revenues.
Henning Gloystein, managing director for energy and resources at Eurasia Group, said Russia has âalready hugely benefitedâ from the crisis after Washington granted India a temporary waiver allowing it to continue purchasing Russian crude.
Putin is the real winner in Trumpâs Iran war as it puts Russian oil back on the map
(March 23, 2026)
The war in Iran is spiking global oil prices, and Russian President Vladimir Putin couldnât be happier.
The war has bottled up one-fifth of the worldâs oil, putting a premium on the remaining supply, including Russian barrels.
US Marines storm Iranian-linked tanker in dramatic Gulf boarding â ‚steel wall‘ blockade in action
US Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit conducted a verification boarding of the tanker M/T Wen Yao on Wednesday as American forces enforced a naval blockade in waters near the Strait of Hormuz, US Central Command said.
As of July 16, US forces have redirected three commercial vessels attempting to run the blockade, disabled one that failed to comply and boarded another to verify full compliance, CentCom reported.
US strikes oil tanker with missiles as it enforces new Iran blockade
The US has attacked an oil tanker in the Gulf, which it said was heading towards Iran‘s largest oil export terminal, as it reimposed a blockade of Iranian ports.
US Central Command (Centcom) said on Wednesday that Belma „ignored multiple warnings“ as it was heading towards the Kharg Island oil terminal and an aircraft disabled the tanker by „firing Hellfire missiles into the ship‘s smokestack“.
Iran asks Houthis to block Red Sea if US hits energy sites: Reports
Iranian officials have asked Yemenâs Houthis to block the Red Sea if the U.S. carries out strikes on Tehranâs energy sites, according to Reuters.
Two senior Iranian sources and a regional source familiar with the matter reportedly told the outlet that the Houthis had been informed of the request, which was discussed within the Islamic Republicâs leadership.
Trumpâs ridiculous Hormuz proposal is the last thing the world needs
The strait was open before the US and Israel joined forces to wage war on Iran, only to have that nation slam it shut. Some vessels got through during the ceasefire, with Iran charging $3 million for a fully loaded supertanker to transit the strait.
Trumpâs threatened toll would jack that cost up to $69 million.
Trump proposes 20% toll on cargo through Strait of Hormuz; restarts Iran blockade
President Donald Trump on Monday said the U.S. will impose fees in the Strait of Hormuz âat the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped,â after declaring America the âguardianâ of the major oil shipping route.
U.S. military to enforce new Iran blockade starting 4pm Tuesday
President Trump announced on Monday that the U.S. is reinstating the naval blockade on Iran and will prevent any ships from leaving or entering Iranian ports. The blockade will go into effect on July 14 at 4pm ET.
Trump also claimed the U.S. would be „reimbursed“ at a rate of 20% for securing safe passage for cargo ships, though the details and seriousness of the initiative were not immediately clear.
Vance Heads to Peace Talks, After Iran Says It Closed Strait of Hormuz
Vice President JD Vance on Saturday headed to peace talks in Switzerland, signaling renewed efforts to keep an agreement signed earlier this week by President Trump on track after Iranian security officials said they had closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Iran closes Strait of Hormuz after US-Israeli violations of MoU
The statement added that the Israeli attacks have led to âbrutal killings and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of oppressed peopleâ in southern Lebanon, adding that the Israeli regime has also failed to withdraw its forces from those territories.
The military command said that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is the first step in response to the breach of commitments under the MoU by the US and its allies, adding that Iran will adopt further measures to compel the enemy to fulfill its obligations.
Iran says it‘s closing vital Strait of Hormuz, blaming Israeli attacks in Lebanon
Iranâs military command said it will close the Strait of Hormuz due to Israelâs âongoingâ violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon and the United States âfailing to implementâ the first clause of the tentative agreement to end the war, Iranian state media reported on Saturday.
âIn view of the United Statesâ bad faith and its clear breach of its commitments by failing to implement the first article of the memorandum ending the war, and in response to the continuous and ongoing violation of the ceasefire by the Zionist regime in southern Lebanon⊠It hereby announces that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to the passage of vessels,â Iranâs top joint military command, âKhatam al-Anbiya Central âHeadquarters, said in a statement that was reported by state broadcaster IRIB.
Iran war day 104: Iran attacks US bases, closes strait after Trump strikes
Iran closes Strait of Hormuz, launches retaliatory strikes on US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan after US bombs Iranian targets.
US says it fired on, disabled ship violating Iran port blockade
(2 June 2026 22:27 BST)
US forces fired a missile at a ship that was attempting to sail to an Iranian port in violation of an American blockade, disabling the vessel, the US military said on Tuesday.
The Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie – an unladen oil tanker – „ignored repeated warnings“ over a 24-hour period, and an American warplane „ultimately disabled the vessel by firing a Hellfire missile into the ship‘s engine room“, the US military‘s Central Command said in a statement.
Iran suspends talks with the US over Israelâs strikes on Lebanon, Iranian media reports
Tasnim added that Tehran and allied militant groups in the region have placed on their agenda the âcomplete closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the activation of other fronts,â including the Bab el-Mandeb strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, where Yemenâs Iran-backed Houthi rebels have previously launched attacks on passing vessels.
Pentagon chief Hegseth says US blockade on Iran ‚going global‘
„We‘re enforcing the blockade across the board against any ship of any nationality that is transiting to or from an Iranian port or territory,“ Caine said.
„We‘re closely tracking vessels of âinterest headed towards Iran âand those moving â away from Iran that were outside the blockade area when this blockade was ordered and … we‘re prepared and postured to intercept them,“ he âsaid.
The U.S. naval blockade on Iran began on April 13.