Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque in the occupied West Bank and defaced an exterior wall of the building, Palestinian officials said Thursday.
The incident comes a day after Israel‘s government and military issued a rare rebuke of Israeli settler violence, amid a recent spike in attacks against Palestinians in the territory.
What do we know about the mosque that was vandalized?
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry, which is based in the central West Bank city of Ramallah, said Israeli settlers had set fire to the Hajja Hamida mosque near the town of Deir Istiya overnight.
Several copies of the Quran were burntImage: Nasser Nasser/AP Photo/picture alliance
“This blatantly violates the sanctity of places of worship and reflects the deep-rooted racism driving settlers under the protection of the occupying government,” the ministry said Thursday.
Photos from the scene showed interior walls of the mosque blackened by smoke as well as several burnt copies of the Quran.
Graffiti was left on an exterior wall of the mosque. The words, in Hebrew, included “we are not afraid,” “we will revenge again” and “keep on condemning.”
The messages appear to be in defiance of condemnations by Israeli authorities against violence in the West Bank by Israeli settlers.
What do we know about the recent settler violence in the West Bank?
The mosque attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents perpetrated by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
On Tuesday, dozens of settlers set vehicles and other property on fire in the Palestinian villages of Beit Lid and Deir Sharaf.
According to the Israeli army, the settlers fled to an industrial area nearby and attacked Israeli soldiers who had been dispatched in response to the violence.
Four Israelis were arrested, Israeli authorities said, while four Palestinians were injured.
Tuesday’s incident prompted an usual condemnation of settlers by Israeli officialsImage: Nedal Eshtayah/Anadolu Agency/IMAGO
How have Israeli officials reacted to the violence?
The attacks have prompted rare condemnations from Israeli leaders.
President Isaac Herzog “severely condemned” the attacks by a “handful” of perpetrators as “shocking and serious.”
In the post on X, Herzog urged Israeli authorities to “act decisively to eradicate this phenomenon.”
In a separate statement, Israeli military Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said he “strongly condemns” the incidents “in which Israeli civilians attacked Palestinians and Israelis.”
Israeli settler violence blocks land access in West Bank
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“These acts contradict our values, cross a red line and divert the attention of our troops from their mission,” he said, adding that Israeli authorities are “determined to stop this phenomenon and will act decisively until justice is served.”
There was also concern from the White House, which played a central role in the recent deal that yielded a ceasefire in Gaza.
At a press conference on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration was worried about “events in the West Bank spilling over and creating an effect that could undermine what we’re doing in Gaza.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government includes far-right and nationalist ministers who have openly called for the whole of the West Bank to be annexed , has yet to comment on the recent violence.
Israel approves new settlements in occupied West Bank
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A history of settler violence in the West Bank
Over 500,000 Israelis live in settlements across the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967. All of the settlements are illegal under international law.
The violence has spiked across the territory since the conflict in Gaza broke out in October 2023.
The Palestinian Health Ministry says at least 1,000 Palestinians, including militants, have been killed in clashes with Israeli settlers or military forces since the war started.
The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) this month said that Israeli settlers carried out at least 264 attacks on Palestinians and Palestinian property during October 2025, adding that last month was the worst for settler violence since the UN began recording the phenomenon in 2006.
According to Israeli figures, 43 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in the West Bank in Palestinian attacks.
Perpetrators of settler violence are very rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities.
Israeli settler violence disrupts West Bank olive harvest
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Edited by: Sean Sinico