Published On 26 Jun 2026
Israeli prosecutors have filed indictments against six individuals in connection with a coordinated attack on the West Bank village of Deir Dibwan, which included the torching of a mosque while worshippers were inside.
In a statement released Friday, Israeli police confirmed that six indictments were issued for acts of terrorism, arson, sabotage, and violent rioting motivated by nationalist ideology. The charges stem from a June 14 assault in which masked settlers entered the village carrying flammable materials, tear gas, and a knife.
According to the police investigation, the group carried out a series of violent acts, including setting fire to vegetation and vehicles, damaging the local mosque, attacking residential homes, and throwing stones at vehicles and inhabited houses. Witnesses told Al Jazeera at the time that settlers poured an incendiary substance on a mosque window and ignited it while people were praying inside.
Attacks Continue Amid Legal Action
Despite the charges, settler violence persisted across the West Bank on Friday. Palestine’s Wafa news agency documented multiple incidents, including attacks on homes in Al-Maniya southeast of Bethlehem, vehicle damage northwest of Ramallah, and arson on agricultural land in Burqa, east of Ramallah.
Wafa also reported that Israeli forces and settlers raided Al-Ras Mosque in Hebron’s Old City before dawn, assaulting those inside, preventing the dawn prayer, and closing the mosque to worshippers. The Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs condemned the raid, denouncing the raising of Israeli flags on the mosque and the denial of access to worshippers.
Additionally, Israeli forces assaulted and detained a Palestinian man near the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem, according to Wafa.
The defendants charged in the Deir Dibwan case include five minors and one 18-year-old, The Times of Israel reported. They face charges in Jerusalem District Court for racially motivated assault, violent offenses, rioting, arson under terrorist circumstances, and racially motivated property damage.
Over 500,000 Israelis currently reside in West Bank settlements and outposts, which are considered illegal under international law. The United Nations reports that settler attacks have surged sharply in 2026, averaging approximately six per day.
Western nations including Australia, Canada, France, Norway, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom have imposed coordinated sanctions targeting networks that finance and facilitate settler violence. However, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich characterized the sanctions as a “badge of honour” for settler groups, while settlement leader Daniella Weiss dismissed the European penalties as “ridiculous” and “banal,” suggesting the measures may have limited deterrent effect.
