West Bank: Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque and spray-paint graffiti during a new attack

Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque and defaced its walls with graffiti in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, according to Palestinian authorities. This incident marks the latest in a series of increasingly brazen attacks by settlers against Palestinians, as reported by CNN on November 14.

The Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs stated that settlers attacked the Hajjah Hamidah mosque in Salfit, northern West Bank, calling the incident a "heinous crime and a blatant affront to the sentiments of Muslims."

"The attack caused partial damage to the mosque and included racist graffiti left by settler groups, who are escalating daily assaults on Islamic holy sites and citizens' properties, amidst a systematic increase in both the frequency and nature of these violations," the statement read.

According to the mayor of Deir Istiya, the attack occurred early Thursday morning, before the dawn prayer.

"Many houses and cars were not targeted. The attack clearly focused on a religious symbol, intending to provoke Muslims with insulting phrases about the Prophet [Muhammad] and the faithful," Abdul Rahim Zidan told Palestine TV.

Images released by the ministry show Hebrew inscriptions on the mosque's exterior walls.

Photos also reveal damage inside the building: charred areas, carbonized debris strewn across the floor, smoke-blackened walls, and broken windows.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack in a statement, asserting that it "holds the Israeli government fully and directly responsible for this crime and its consequences."

In a statement to CNN, the Israeli army confirmed the attack, noting it dispatched forces to the scene to "examine the facts and conduct inspections," before transferring the case to the Israeli police. The IDF added that "no suspects have been identified."

Approximately 700,000 Israeli settlers reside in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories claimed by Palestinians for a future state. Israeli settlements in occupied territories are deemed illegal under international law.

This year, attacks by settlers against Palestinians and their properties have surged, particularly during the olive harvest season in October and November. A United Nations report published last week indicated that at least 264 attacks were recorded in October, the highest monthly total since monitoring began in 2006. These repeated assaults have disrupted this year's harvest.

On Tuesday, dozens of Israeli settlers launched a large-scale arson attack on agricultural land in the village of Beit Lid, in northern West Bank, setting ablaze a dairy farm along with vehicles and tents in a neighboring Bedouin community.