Israeli settlers ignited a fire that destroyed a mosque and damaged a local dairy factory in the West Bank village of Al-Tuwani overnight, according to Palestinian authorities.
Israeli security footage and eyewitnesses confirmed the mosque’s entrance was charred, with Hebrew graffiti sprayed on its walls. The attack occurred amid escalating settler violence in the occupied West Bank since the 2023 Gaza conflict began.
Over two dozen masked settlers attacked the Al-Taqwa mosque, setting it ablaze while also torching two homes and a women-operated dairy factory in the Masafer Yatta area, as reported by village council head Mohammed Rabie.
Settlers fled when residents emerged from their homes, while local volunteers managed to contain the flames before they spread further. AFP documented a child and elderly man examining the mosque’s damaged entrance and shattered windows, where part of a prayer rug had also been burned.
Rabie emphasized that the attack “did not result in a tragedy with loss of life.” Israeli police deployed officers to the village after reports of the incident, stating an investigation was ongoing into the arson and property damage.
Palestinian activist Osama Makhamra noted the attack occurred under direct observation of Israeli military forces, with a nearby watchtower stationed close to the mosque. However, Rabie confirmed Israeli army, police, and firefighters arrived approximately 30 minutes later to assess the damage.
The Palestinian Ministry of Religious Affairs condemned the arson as a “terrorist act,” accusing Israel’s occupation authorities of fostering settler violence to displace Palestinians and escalate the conflict into a religious war. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) recently reported settler attacks in the West Bank had reached “unprecedented” levels, averaging six incidents daily involving casualties or property damage.
The West Bank is home to approximately three million Palestinians living alongside over 500,000 Israeli settlers in settlements deemed illegal under international law. Israel has occupied the territory since 1967.
