Palestinians say Israeli settlers torch mosque, factory in West Bank village

Source: AFP Location: At Tuwani, Occupied West Bank

Attack on Al-Taqwa Mosque

More than two dozen Israeli settlers, some masked, attacked the Al-Taqwa mosque in the Palestinian village of Al-Tuwani during the night and set it on fire, according to Mohammed Rabie, head of the village council.

An AFP journalist at the scene reported that the mosque's entrance was scorched and Hebrew graffiti had been sprayed on its walls. Photographs showed a child and an elderly man inspecting the charred entrance and windows, where part of a prayer carpet had also been burned.

Additional Property Damage

Rabie stated that the settlers also set fire to two houses and a dairy factory in the same attack. The dairy factory, run by women from the Masafer Yatta community, suffered extensive damage.

"We thank God that this attack did not turn into a tragedy with loss of life," Rabie said.

The attackers fled after villagers emerged from their homes, and local volunteers managed to extinguish the flames before they spread further.

Israeli Response

The Israeli police said it deployed officers to the village after receiving "a report of suspects who caused damage at the site, including a vehicle that was set on fire, damage to the door of a prayer structure, and graffiti sprayed on walls." The police added that "the investigation into the circumstances of the incident... is still ongoing."

Rabie noted that Israeli army, police, and fire service personnel arrived in the village about half an hour after the attack and inspected the damage.

Allegations of Military Inaction

Palestinian activist Osama Makhamra told AFP that "the settlers' attack took place in full view of the Israeli army," noting that an Israeli military watchtower stands close to the mosque that was set ablaze.

Official Condemnation

The Palestinian Religious Affairs Ministry condemned the attack, describing the arson as "a full-fledged terrorist act." In a statement, the Ministry accused Israel's "extremist occupation government" of encouraging settler violence in an effort to displace Palestinians from Masafer Yatta and turn the conflict into "a religious war."

Broader Context

The incident occurred during a period of increased attacks against Palestinian communities by settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which have escalated since the start of the Gaza war in 2023.

According to a recent report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank has reached "unprecedented" levels, averaging six attacks per day that result in casualties or property damage.

Excluding East Jerusalem, approximately three million Palestinians live in the occupied West Bank alongside more than 500,000 Israelis residing in settlements that are considered illegal under international law.