Palestinian officials have reported that Israeli settlers set fires to two mosques and vandalized cars and agricultural land in villages across the occupied West Bank. The incidents occurred overnight in the villages of Qusra and Kour, with reports indicating that graffiti including the word “revenge” was spray-painted on mosque walls. The mayor of Qusra stated that one mosque was still under construction at the time of the attack.
These incidents follow a violent clash that occurred two days earlier near the village of Tal, which resulted in four Palestinian deaths and two Israeli deaths. Both Palestinian and Israeli sides attributed responsibility for the confrontation to the other party. In response to the Tal incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that his government would take what he characterized as “powerful action,” which may include demolishing homes of Palestinians allegedly involved in the clash.
The Israeli military has deployed troops to affected areas and stated that police would conduct investigations and gather evidence. Concurrently, the Israel Defense Forces carried out raids and arrested dozens of Palestinians as part of what it described as counter-terrorism operations. The escalating violence reflects broader tensions in the West Bank, where settlers have conducted an increasing number of attacks against Palestinian communities in recent months, drawing international criticism without apparent reversal.
According to UN data, approximately 1,114 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the beginning of the Gaza conflict, with the vast majority attributed to Israeli military operations and at least 35 deaths involving settler attacks. The UN also documented 41 Israeli deaths resulting from Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations in the West Bank during the same period. The West Bank remains home to approximately 700,000 Israeli settlers living in hundreds of settlements alongside an estimated 3.3 million Palestinians.
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