Israelis torch mosques and set cars on fire, leaving Palestinian villages in full blaze. Palestinian officials report that two mosques in the occupied West Bank—one in Qusra and another in Kour—were set ablaze overnight. They say settlers also vandalised cars, stole property and sprayed hate graffiti on walls.
The incidents follow a deadly clash with settlers two days earlier near Tal that killed four Palestinians and two Israelis. Both sides accuse the other of provoking the violence, underscoring the volatile situation in the West Bank.
Palestinian leaders point to an escalation of settler attacks driven by far‑right elements in Israel’s current government. The mayor of Qusra confirmed that a mosque under construction was burnt, and an official named Abdul Azim Wadi said settlers spray‑painted the word “revenge” on the mosque’s walls.
Israel’s military says troops were sent to Qusra and police are investigating. The Israeli Defence Forces have conducted raids and arrested dozens of Palestinians in a “counter‑terrorism” operation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, responding to the clash on Tal, pledged “powerful action,” possibly including demolition of homes of two Palestinians alleged to be involved.
International condemnation has grown, but the violence shows no signs of reversing. Since the Gaza war began, settler violence on Palestinian land has escalated, with the UN reporting 1,114 Palestinian deaths in the West Bank and 41 Israelis killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations since the Gaza conflict began.
Fewer than 10% of the violence is attributed directly to settlers, but the UN says at least 35 deaths involve attacks by settlers, underscoring the urgency for a negotiated resolution to the conflict.
