Israeli settler extremist confronts Palestinian-American at his besieged West Bank home

Palestinian-American Loui Ridi raised a large American flag over his West Bank home in an attempt to deter extremist settlers who have been besieging the property. Ridi arrived in Kusra on Monday from the U.S., concerned about losing his home to settlers who have encircled three Palestinian homes in the village for more than a week. This situation has drawn condemnation from the United States.

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You came to make a mess, ha?

During a tense encounter filmed by Reuters, a settler approached Ridi on his land on Tuesday. The settler, holding what appeared to be a Torah, questioned Ridi's presence. Ridi responded by calling the settler a "terrorist settler." Israeli soldiers, who had driven by earlier, approached the settler and informed him it was a closed military area, stating they would leave if the Palestinians inside the homes also left.

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You are a terrorist settler, you know that?

The settler eventually retreated, later joined by two others, before they moved out of sight. An IDF soldier instructed Ridi to go inside his home, telling him, "I'll solve this problem." Ridi argued that the settler's presence was illegal and that he should be arrested.

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I'll leave if they leave. There are a lot of guys here. We're all just guarding our territory. If they go inside the house, we'll leave.

The confrontation highlights the escalating tensions in the village. Rights groups report that settlers are increasingly attempting to seize Palestinian land, encroaching on territory designated for a future Palestinian state. The IDF states it has deployed forces to maintain security and rein in settlers, but the families remain afraid to leave their homes due to the ongoing settler presence. Ridi hoisted the U.S. flag after arriving, hoping it would offer protection.

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Just be inside, they go, and you'll be inside. Don't talk to each other, ok? I'll solve this problem.