MK Cassif claims IDF soldier assaulted him while trying to block his entry to West Bank town Kusra

Hadash-Ta'al MK Ofer Cassif accused IDF troops on Wednesday of physically and verbally assaulting him while attempting to reach Palestinian families in the West Bank village of Kusra, whose homes have been surrounded amid an ongoing confrontation involving extremist settlers and Israeli security forces.

“Yesterday, I tried again to reach the besieged families in the Palestinian village of Kusra,” Cassif said. “During my attempt to enter the village, I was verbally and physically attacked by the occupation forces.”

He shared footage showing him approaching the soldiers with his hands behind his back, in view of the camera, as he tried to walk past while the soldiers blocked him.

“Before the checkpoint, with my hands behind my back, one of the soldiers threw himself to the ground and claimed that I had attacked him. Later, they violently pushed me back to my car. I filed a complaint over this incident,” he said, noting that he ultimately succeeded in reaching the homes and meeting the families.

“If this is how the occupation forces treat a serving member of Knesset, one can only imagine what Palestinians experience every day and the extent of the lies spread to justify this reality,” Cassif said.

In his statement, Cassif called for international intervention and reiterated his opposition to Israel's presence in the West Bank.

“The international community must intervene immediately and act to end the siege,” he said. “But that is not enough. The occupation as a whole must end, so that justice can prevail and the two peoples of this land can live in peace, security, and prosperity!”

IDF confirms Cassif arrived at Kusra, says soldiers' conduct 'under review'

The IDF confirmed to The Jerusalem Post that Cassif and several civilians did arrive at Kusra, and that the argument was regarding the entry of accompanying individuals who were not members of Knesset into the village, which has been designated as a closed military zone. 

According to the IDF, Cassif arrived without prior coordination, and entry was permitted in accordance with the existing exceptions for MKs

Regarding the fight seen in the video, the IDF told the Post that “The conduct of the soldiers during the incident is being examined.”

Cassif has gone to Kusra before since extremist clashes with Palestinians began

Cassif had previously visited Kusra on August 14, when he said IDF troops initially prevented him from entering the village, before he was eventually able to cross the checkpoint and bring water, food, medicine, and equipment to reconnect water pipes that he said had been damaged by settlers.

The confrontation in Kusra followed days of unrest surrounding Palestinian homes on the outskirts of the village. On August 12, settler extremists clashed with IDF troops after the evacuation of an outpost near Kusra, while footage showed roads being blocked and fences dismantled.

Palestinian residents subsequently said extremist settlers remained near their homes despite military efforts to remove them, leaving families feeling under threat. The IDF later announced that it would investigate its handling of the events in Kusra, including the time taken to remove the outpost and the treatment of Palestinian families in the area.