Kusra

The Prime Minister called out the violent event, where dozens of settler rioters gathered on the outskirts of the village of Kusra in the West Bank and were later dispersed by the IDF.

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.

"We have to deal with things like this all the time; it was expected to happen. We are stuck here between Jewish terrorism and Palestinian terrorism,” the soldiers said, according to Army Radio. 

"Here's an American citizen being attacked in the West Bank by an American tax-funded army, American weapons used to attack Palestinian Americans in the West Bank," one resident told Reuters.

The IDF told Army Radio that commanders had explained "the seriousness of the act" to the soldiers, and "lessons were drawn from the matter."

The Kusra siege has drawn rare US criticism and intensified debate over Israel’s failure to restrain violent factions as the government considers transferring civilian law enforcement from the IDF.

The outpost, known as Givat Or Yehuda, was reportedly the site of a violent incident three months earlier, which Army Radio cited as the reason for Monday's evacuation.

Palestinian residents who remain in the area told KAN News that they still feel threatened by Jewish extremists in the area.

The Press and Communications Council demanded responses from the IDF after a Channel 14 reporter entered the West Bank village of Kusra, while other reporters were denied access.

Leiter connected his criticism of the violence to the Jewish commandment of settling the Land of Israel, arguing that the principle also carries a responsibility to uphold justice.