The Archbishop of York had to cut short his pastoral visit to the West Bank after Israeli police ordered his delegation to leave Susya on Saturday. The visit followed meetings with Palestinian families whose homes in Umm al-Khair are under threat of demolition.

Earlier, heavily armed Israeli settlers had blocked the road, preventing the delegation from leaving, while police and local militias monitored the group. Rev Canon Richard Sewell, dean of St George’s College, described the settlers as “quasi-military vigilantes tolerated by the police.”

During the visit, Archbishop Stephen met a family affected by settler attacks. The mother had baked bread with one hand after being injured in a previous assault, while her husband had sustained a head injury. Despite the police intervention, the archbishop heard the family’s story and walked with them back to the main road.

The demolitions in Umm al-Khair followed the killing of resident Awdah Hathaleen in July, shot during a settler raid while holding his infant son, according to a report in the Palestine Chronicle. His body was withheld by Israeli authorities for a week, sparking protests from local women and drawing international attention.

A man arrested for the killing was later released after a judge ruled he acted in self-defence.

Community leader Eid Hathaleen thanked the archbishop for visiting and called for international intervention to prevent displacement, while the family pleaded for justice, highlighting disparities in police responses between settlers and Palestinian residents.

The Church of England said the visit was intended to witness for peace and justice in the region.