Two West Bank Mosques Burned in Suspected Settler Attack Amid Rising Violence
Authorities say arson attacks on mosques in Qusra and Kour were carried out by civilians, prompting a security response and investigations as tensions rise in the occupied West Bank.
Two mosques in the West Bank villages of Qusra and Kour were set ablaze overnight, an incident officials described as an apparent attack by Israeli settlers. The fires caused extensive damage; in Qusra, graffiti reading “revenge Benayahu” and “the land of Israel is redeemed with blood” was left on the building.
A resident of Qusra, 64-year-old Ahmed Abu Mahmoud, reported hearing noises at 3 a.m. and discovering the blaze, saying that military personnel arrived, observed the scene, and then left. Security footage from Kour showed three individuals in civilian clothing detonating an explosive at the mosque entrance. Despite the damage, worshippers gathered for prayers later that day.
The Israeli military said it is cooperating with police to investigate the attacks and condemned “incidents of this kind, including harm to religious sites.” The army added that it will act decisively to maintain security and public order.
The incidents follow a recent wave of violence in which four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers were killed. Israeli forces increased patrols across the West Bank, sealed homes of two Palestinian militants suspected in the soldiers’ deaths, and arrested more than 70 Palestinians over the weekend. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said troops entered villages to seize weapons and make arrests, adding that the forces are prepared to operate on a broader scale against “terrorist nests.”
Palestinian officials and human-rights groups have accused the Israeli government of tolerating settler violence, citing frequent reports of arson, livestock theft and other attacks on Palestinian communities. Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy called on the United States to restrain what he described as “extremist ambitions” of the Israeli government, while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged regional and international partners to pressure Israel to halt settler violence.
The Palestinian Health Ministry reported 87 Palestinian deaths in the occupied West Bank this year, including 21 attributed to Israeli settlers, and three Israeli deaths in attacks by Palestinian militants. The international community continues to regard Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal under international law.