The United States was reportedly fuming over the Israeli government’s failure to crack down on rampant settler violence in the West Bank, Israeli television reported Wednesday.

There was particular shock in US President Donald Trump’s administration over the ongoing incident in the Palestinian village of Qusra, where settlers have besieged a pair of homes on the outskirts of the northern West Bank town, according to the Kan public broadcaster.

While the military has issued statements condemning the incident, Israeli law enforcement has not removed the settlers from the area and the Palestinian families have been stuck in their homes since Sunday.

One of the homes belongs to an Ohio-based American citizen who has watched in horror through security cameras that have captured soldiers fraternizing with the settlers blockading his relatives.

The siege in Qusra was discussed Wednesday by White House officials who have come to the conclusion that Israel is not taking the issue seriously, Kan reported.

A senior White House official was reportedly slated to hold a phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to demand answers on why Jerusalem has refused to act against the settlers in Qusra.

According to the Ynet news site, serious questions have been raised into why Israel was allowing “anarchy” in the West Bank.

Netanyahu’s government has funneled millions of dollars into the illegal outposts, where many of the perpetrators of attacks on Palestinians live.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is in charge of the Defense Ministry’s settlement policy, has said the goal of the next Israeli government will be to push Palestinians to flee the area.

The White House and the US State Department did not respond to repeated requests for comments.

The reports on Wednesday came as the IDF announced that an infantry battalion would be dispatched to the West Bank to bolster the troops attempting to........

© The Times of Israel