White House officials are pushing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to openly condemn a settler-led siege of a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank, according to U.S. and Israeli sources on Friday.

The pressure comes as settlers pitched another tent in the area before military forces intervened to dismantle it.

For nearly a week, settlers have blockaded homes in the village of Qusra. Human rights organizations report that the siege is part of an organized attempt to claim additional territory intended for a future Palestinian state.

The blockade drew rare public criticism from Washington on Thursday, with Mike Huckabee, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel and a prominent proponent of Jewish settlement in the West Bank, labeling the settlers surrounding a Palestinian residence as "Israeli terrorists.”

According to a U.S. official and an Israeli official speaking on condition of anonymity, White House officials are urging Netanyahu to issue a public condemnation.

The diplomatic intervention escalated after American authorities discovered that a Palestinian-American's residence was among those targeted, officials familiar with the confidential discussions stated.

Netanyahu has refrained from making public statements about the events in Qusra, while neither his office nor the White House immediately responded to requests for comment.

In the three years following the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, violence carried out by settlers across the West Bank has intensified.

Taking a firm stand against settlers carries significant political danger for Netanyahu, who faces an election in roughly two months and relies heavily on settler support within his right-wing coalition.

Current polling suggests he could be voted out, as concerns over his security record persist following the 2023 attacks.

"We are very afraid," explained Aysha Hassan, a resident trapped in one of the three blockaded homes, during a phone interview with Reuters.

"There is nothing new. It's been like this for six days...the settlers are still here."

Hassan described seeing settlers outside her residence during the early morning hours and provided video evidence showing groups of settlers walking near her property.

The United Nations reported that approximately 15 Palestinians, including two children, remain confined inside their homes without access to electricity or running water.

Video recorded by a trapped Palestinian resident showed seven settlers gathered around a blue tent, with one individual throwing stones toward the village as another brought chairs. Subsequent footage showed Israeli military personnel arriving and the structure collapsing.

"Israeli civilians erected a tent in the Qusra area, and IDF soldiers operated to remove it while protecting the local residents," stated the Israeli military (IDF), following the deployment of dozens of troops into Qusra a day prior.

Netanyahu's government, recognized as the most right-wing in the nation's history, has driven a significant expansion of settlements in the West Bank—land captured during the 1967 war. Scores of new settlements and outposts have been established under his tenure.

Rights groups state settlers are seeking to claim land bordering Qusra and nearby Jalud to connect surrounding outposts to larger West Bank settlements.

The siege commenced over the weekend when settlers blocked access roads, set up camp in front yards, and severed utilities including water and power.

The Israeli army stated its forces have been present in Qusra since Thursday morning to safeguard residents and maintain order.

Earlier video recordings captured several Israeli men wearing military dress joining settlers for morning prayers inside a tent, prompting the military to launch disciplinary proceedings against the personnel involved.

Approximately three million Palestinians and 500,000 settlers reside in the West Bank. Monitoring group Peace Now estimates there are roughly 146 recognized settlements alongside 390 illegal outposts across the region.