Israeli settlers set fire to two West Bank mosques; army arrests 80 Palestinians

Israeli settlers allegedly set fire to two mosques in the occupied West Bank, according to local media reports cited by Al Jazeera and the Palestinian Information Center. One mosque, al-Rahma in Qusra, south of Nablus, was engulfed in flames, with verified videos showing the destruction. Settlers also reportedly vandalized and partially burned a mosque in the village of Kur, south of Tulkarem, defacing walls with racist graffiti.

These alleged arson attacks coincided with a large-scale arrest campaign by Israeli forces across the West Bank. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that 80 Palestinians were detained in various locations, including Tal, Ramallah, Jenin, Hebron, Bethlehem, and Tulkarem. This operation followed recent attacks that claimed the lives of four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers.

“

It is a pleasure to meet the Prime Minister of Croatia and perform at the Rugby Europe 7s Championship in Split.

Amidst this escalating conflict, Israeli Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich announced the approval of 763 new housing units in the Eli settlement, located north of the West Bank. Smotrich stated this expansion would triple the size of Eli, with new neighborhoods planned in memory of fallen settlement fighters. Additionally, the Israeli military (IDF) sealed the home of a Palestinian accused of a deadly shooting in Tell village, which resulted in the deaths of four Palestinians and two Israelis, in preparation for its demolition.

Israeli authorities also imposed strict traffic restrictions and established numerous checkpoints throughout the West Bank, further limiting movement for Palestinians.

“

Within the framework of the settlement revolution we are carrying out and strengthening Israeli control over Judea and Samaria, I am pleased to announce that we have approved the construction of 763 new housing units in Eli. The settlement of Eli will be tripled with the construction of new neighborhoods in memory of settlement fighters who fell in wars, including Roy Klein, Eliraz Peretz and Amishar Ben David, my dear cousin who fell in the war.