Israeli forces deployed tear gas inside a mosque in Madama near Nablus on Tuesday as worshippers gathered for evening prayers, causing respiratory distress among elderly congregants and disrupting services. The incident was documented in footage verified by local media outlets. The assault occurred hours after Israeli settlers attempted to set fire to another mosque in the nearby town of Bazariya, leaving burn marks and defaced walls bearing Hebrew inscriptions.
The Palestinian Ministry of Religious Affairs reported that at least 13 mosques have been breached by Israeli military personnel or settlers since the beginning of the year. Officials characterized the Madama incident as a violation of religious spaces during prayer. Local witnesses to the Bazariya arson described a small explosion that ignited a fire within the mosque building, though they managed to contain the blaze before it spread to upper sections.
Data compiled by conflict monitoring organizations indicate a marked escalation in mosque-related incidents. Between 2017 and 2022, an average of four mosques per year experienced attacks. This figure increased to approximately ten annually following military operations in Gaza that commenced in 2023, with the current year on track to record the highest total since 2017. Palestinian leadership issued statements warning that the religious dimension of the attacks poses regional security risks.
The incidents fit a broader pattern of intensified violence across the occupied West Bank. United Nations officials documented 76 Palestinian deaths in the territory this year and noted that settler violence has reached record levels, with more than 1,430 documented attacks causing casualties or property damage. An estimated 3,800 people have been displaced through settler violence alongside military demolitions and evictions. On the same day as the mosque incidents, Israeli forces arrested multiple Palestinians across various towns and conducted operations involving tree uprooting, greenhouse demolitions, and home demolition notices.
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