By Ali Sawafta and Mohammed Torokman
QUSRA, West Bank, July 26 (Reuters) – Israeli settlers set fire to two mosques and daubed graffiti on buildings in the occupied West Bank early Sunday, according to Palestinian officials.
On Friday, four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers — one serving as a local security coordinator — were killed when a group of settlers stormed the village of Tal, southwest of Nablus.
Villagers confronted the settlers, and the ensuing shootout added to a series of clashes in which dozens of Palestinians have been killed this year and hundreds wounded, per United Nations and Palestinian Authority data.
Abdel Azim Wadi, head of the village council in Qusra, southeast of Nablus, reported that settlers had burned a newly completed mosque early Sunday.
He said the attackers painted Hebrew slogans on the walls, including “Jewish revenge” and the name of one of the Israelis killed near Tal.
“The village has faced repeated attacks since 2011, and the frequency has risen since the war,” he said in a telephone interview with Reuters.
Jewish settlements are widely regarded as illegal.
Most countries and United Nations bodies deem Jewish settlements in the West Bank illegal, a stance Israel rejects, while Palestinians aim to establish an independent state in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.
Since Israel began its war against Hamas rulers in Gaza in October 2023, following the killing of more than 1,000 Israelis by Gaza militants, settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank have surged sharply.
The Israeli military said troops deployed to Qusra, near several large settlements, discovered graffiti and evidence of arson and are seeking suspects. Police officers will be sent to gather evidence.
“The security forces strongly condemn such incidents, including attacks on religious sites, and will continue to act decisively to preserve security and public order,” the military stated.
Palestinian officials also reported an attempted arson of a mosque near Kour, southeast of the city of Tulkarm.
Farid Jiyousi, a member of the village council, said three settlers tried to set the mosque ablaze at dawn, but worshippers extinguished the flames before they could reach the main prayer area.
“This is the first attack our village has experienced,” he said, noting that the perpetrators also graffitied Hebrew slogans on the mosque walls.
Following Friday’s incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is preparing for an October election, ordered additional troops to the area and indicated that more settlements would be authorized to bolster security.
Hardline members of his coalition, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have advocated accelerating Israeli control over the West Bank, which has been occupied since the 1967 Middle East war.
(Ali Sawafta reported from Ramallah; additional reporting by Steve Scheer in Jerusalem; writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
