US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has condemned a siege by Israeli settlers against Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank, describing the actions as a “horrific act of terror”.
Settlers in Qusra village near Nablus have reportedly blockaded several Palestinian homes since Sunday, cutting residents off from food and other essential supplies.
One of the homes belongs to a US citizen.
“The actions of those doing this to this family’s home are criminal,” Huckabee wrote on X in response to criticism of the US response.
He described the incident as a “horrific act of terror” intended to intimidate and harass the family, adding that there was “no excuse for such thuggish behaviour”.
Huckabee said Israel had intervened after a request from the United States.
Huckabee’s comments draw attention
The remarks are notable given Huckabee’s previous support for Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and his opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, and Israeli settlements in the territory are considered illegal under international law by most of the international community.
US rejects permanent Israeli presence in Lebanon
Separately, Washington has rejected the idea of a permanent Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon, hours after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces would remain in a designated security zone.
A US State Department official told Al Arabiya English that Washington expects all parties to comply with the US-brokered framework agreed between Lebanon and Israel.
“Israel clearly stated that it has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon,” the official said.
Katz, however, said during a visit to southern Lebanon that Israeli forces would remain in the security zone.
“As the prime minister and I have made unequivocally clear, we are not withdrawing from this security zone,” Katz said.
Washington warns against permanent presence
The US-brokered ceasefire framework calls for the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory and the disarmament of Iran-backed Hezbollah.
“A permanent military presence in South Lebanon is not consistent with the commitments made in the Framework, or the long-term peace and security of both states,” the State Department official said.
Washington also reaffirmed its support for Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Under the framework, Israel’s withdrawal is linked to a conditions-based process involving the progressive redeployment of Israeli forces alongside verified disarmament of Hezbollah and the dismantling of its military infrastructure.
The latest statements highlight differences between Washington and Israel over both the situation in the occupied West Bank and the future of Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.
