LONDON: Israeli forces and settlers on Sunday continued their siege of three Palestinian homes in the town of Qusra, south of Nablus, for the 29th consecutive day. Samer Al-Jamal, an official at the Ministry of Education, said teacher Suhair Abu Rida could not attend her work at Asma Bint Abi Bakr School in Qusra, disrupting lessons for numerous female students. Two children were also unable to attend kindergarten due to the siege, according to the Palestine News Agency. About 846,000 students attended their first day at schools across West Bank towns on Sunday. A ceremony to launch the new academic year was held in Qusra, attended by Nablus Gov. Ghassan Daghlas and officials from the Directorate of Education, emphasizing the community’s commitment to education. Abu Rida’s home was targeted in an Israeli siege last month, along with two other homes belonging to the Hassan families. The Israeli army placed a military cordon around the homes, claiming the force was “protecting” them from settlers. Almost 737,000 settlers live in 279 illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, among 3.43 million Palestinians. Qusra is surrounded by several settlements, including Migdalim and Esh Kodesh, from which settlers approach the village.