Israeli settlers set fire to and vandalized a mosque in a Palestinian village in the central West Bank overnight, leaving behind hateful messages as an act of defiance. The incident occurred following condemnation from some Israeli leaders over a recent attack by settlers against Palestinians.
During a visit by an Associated Press reporter on Thursday, it was observed that one wall, at least three copies of the Qur’an, and some carpeting at the mosque in the Palestinian town of Deir Istiya had been burned. Graffiti messages such as “we are not afraid,” “we will revenge again,” and “keep on condemning” were scribbled on one side of the mosque in Hebrew, making reference to Maj. Gen Avi Bluth, the head of the military’s Central Command, who had spoken out against the violence the day before.
The Israeli military stated that troops were dispatched to investigate the incident but had not identified any suspects yet. The case was being transferred to Israeli police and security authorities for further action.
This attack on the mosque is the latest in a series of incidents that have raised concerns among top officials, military leaders, and the Trump administration. Israeli officials have tried to portray settler violence as the actions of a few extremists. However, Palestinians and rights groups assert that the violence is widespread and carried out by settlers across the territory with impunity from Israel’s right-wing government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has not commented on the recent surge in violence.
The recent condemnations stemmed from a brazen attack on Tuesday where masked Israeli settlers set fire to vehicles and property in Palestinian villages, Beit Lid and Deir Sharaf. The settlers subsequently clashed with soldiers responding to the violence, resulting in damage to a military vehicle and injuries to four Palestinians. Four Israelis were arrested in connection with the incident.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog termed the attacks as “shocking and serious,” emphasizing the need for decisive action by all state authorities to eliminate such behavior. Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the Israeli army’s chief of staff, echoed these sentiments, reaffirming the military’s commitment to preventing violent acts by settlers, which he described as contrary to Israeli values.
Settler violence has been escalating for decades, with the mosque in Deir Istiya having been previously targeted by settlers in 2012 and 2014. The surge in violence has coincided with increased settlement activities, displacing thousands of Palestinians and leading to heightened tensions in the region.
Critics accuse the Israeli government of failing to address settler violence effectively, with a low rate of indictments and convictions for such incidents. The dominance of far-right figures in the government, who support the settler movement, has raised concerns about the lack of accountability in dealing with such attacks.