Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank set fire to two mosques early Sunday as well as destroyed graffiti-covered buildings in what local Palestinian officials near Nablus said were calls for “revenge.”
“The mosque was in its final stages and was ready to welcome worshippers. It had already been furnished with sofas. They set it on fire and wrote Hebrew slogans on its walls,” said Abdel Azim Wadi, head of the Qusra village council outside Nablus.
The Israeli military confirmed that graffiti and signs of arson were found when they inspected the area.
“Security forces strongly condemn such incidents, including damage to religious sites, and will continue to act decisively to maintain security and public order in the area,” Israeli military officials said in a statement.
Separately, Palestinian officials said Israeli settlers had tried to burn down a mosque near Kaur and attacked Palestinian workers at a stone-cutting facility near Ramallah.
A member of the Kaur village council said worshipers at the mosque were able to extinguish the mosque fire, which he said was set by three Israeli residents. Graffiti in Hebrew was also reported at the site.
Six people were killed in attacks on Sunday following clashes on Friday.
Sunday’s attacks are believed to be in response to Friday’s clashes, which left six people dead.
Friday’s incident was instigated by a group of Israeli settlers, some of whom were armed, who descended on the Palestinian village of Tell, southwest of Nablus.
When the villagers came out of their homes to confront the settlers, gunfire began.
The Israeli military said shots were fired from both sides. Palestinian local officials say settlers instigated the violence.
In the end, four Palestinians were killed as well as two Israeli soldiers, one of whom was stationed at the site as a security agent.
Israeli security forces carried out raids in Nablus on Saturday in response to the incident as part of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s self-described “anti-terrorism” campaign.
Dozens of Palestinians were arrested during the raid.
Palestinian officials in the West Bank condemned the weekend’s events as part of “systematic genocide in the occupied West Bank”.
Increasing violence due to illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank
The West Bank, seen by Palestinians as the center of a future independent state, has seen a sharp increase in violent clashes between often armed Israeli settlers and Palestinian civilians since October 7, 2023, when the Hamas-led group attacked Israel, sparking a war in Gaza. Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, including Israel and Germany.
Palestinian officials say at least 1,097 Palestinians – both militants and civilians – have been killed by Israeli settlers and security forces since the October 2023 attack.
Israeli figures document the deaths of 48 Israeli civilians and members of the security forces during the same period.
The Netanyahu government opposes Palestinian statehood and is accelerating Israeli settlements in the disputed territory – which is considered illegal under international law.
The Netanyahu government cites biblical and historical rights to the land as justification for its approach, with far-right cabinet members such as Bezalel Smotrich calling for the annexation of land occupied by Israel since 1967.
Approximately three million Palestinians currently live in the occupied West Bank. More than 500,000 Israelis live in illegal settlements.
On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV expressed deep concern over the ongoing violence in the West Bank, calling for dialogue to achieve a “just political solution” and condemning actions “that violate the dignity and status quo of the sacred sites of every religious faith.”
Edited by: Rana Taha
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