Settlers Torch Mosques in West Bank After Deadly Clash Leaves Six Dead
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villages in the West Bank early on Sunday, setting fire to two mosques and scrawling graffiti on buildings, Palestinian officials said. The incidents follow a deadly clash on Friday near the village of Tal, southwest of Nablus, in which four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers were killed.
According to Palestinian accounts, villagers from Tal emerged to confront a group of settlers who had entered the area, leading to an exchange of fire. The incident is part of a broader surge in settler-related violence in the West Bank, which the United Nations and the Palestinian Authority say has resulted in dozens of Palestinian deaths and hundreds of injuries this year.
In the early hours of Sunday, settlers targeted mosques in the villages of Qusra and Kour. Abdel Azim Wadi, head of the Qusra village council, reported that a newly completed mosque was set ablaze and defaced with Hebrew slogans, including 'Jewish revenge' and the name of one of the Israelis killed near Tal. 'The village has faced repeated attacks since 2011, and these attacks have increased since the war,' he said.
In Kour, Farid Jiyousi, a member of the village council, said three settlers attempted to set fire to a mosque at dawn, but worshippers extinguished the flames before they reached the main prayer hall. Graffiti in Hebrew was also sprayed on the walls.
The Israeli military stated that troops were dispatched to Qusra, found evidence of arson and graffiti, and are searching for suspects. Police officers will collect further evidence. 'The security forces strongly condemn incidents of this kind, including harm to religious sites, and will continue to act decisively to maintain security and public order in the area,' the military said in a statement.
The attacks occur against the backdrop of heightened tensions since October 2023, when Israel launched a war in Gaza following Hamas-led attacks that killed over 1,000 Israelis. Since then, settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank have increased sharply.
Most countries and United Nations bodies consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal, a position Israel rejects. Palestinians seek to establish an independent state in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. Following Friday's clash, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing an election in October, ordered a reinforcement of troops in the area and said more settlements would be authorised to increase security. Right-wing politicians in his government, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have called for accelerated moves to assert Israeli control over the West Bank, which Israel occupied in the 1967 Middle East war.
