Israeli settlers accused of torching mosques on West Bank

Israeli settlers are accused of setting fire to two mosques and spray-painting hateful slogans in the villages of Jiljilya and Mazari al-Nubani, north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli army confirmed the incidents, stating its forces searched the area but the suspects had already escaped.

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Forces searched the area for suspects and found two burned mosques and graffiti on the walls. The suspects had fled before the forces arrived.

Osama Abdullah, head of the Jiljilya village council, reported that settlers set fire to a sanitary facility and damaged the main mosque, writing hostile slogans on its exterior walls. He stated the arsonists arrived at night and, finding the mosque doors locked, set fire to the sanitary facility instead. AFP journalists visiting the mosque on Wednesday observed that the ceilings, walls, and floors were blackened by smoke and flames.

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settlers set fire to a sanitary facility, damaged the main mosque and wrote hostile slogans on the exterior walls.

Graffiti in Hebrew, including "revenge" and "greetings from 'Hilltop Youth,'" was found on the walls. "Hilltop Youth" is an Israeli group in the West Bank frequently blamed for violence against Palestinians, aiming to drive them from territories they wish to seize. In the neighboring village of Mazari al-Nubani, settlers reportedly arrived with Molotov cocktails to set fire to a mosque, according to village council head Saad Dagher.

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revenge

The Palestinian Ministry of Religious Affairs condemned the "dangerous aggression" and called for international intervention. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. The territory is home to over 500,000 Israeli settlers and approximately three million Palestinians, excluding East Jerusalem. Settlements, considered illegal under international law, have expanded across the West Bank since the current right-wing government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to power. The UN recently warned that settler violence in the West Bank has reached record levels, with an average of six attacks per day resulting in casualties or damage.

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greetings from "Hilltop Youth"