Why it matters:
The arson attack comes amid a sharp rise in settler violence during the Gaza war, with rights groups warning that settlers, operating under the protection or tacit support of the Israeli regime, are increasingly targeting Palestinian communities, homes, and holy sites. The burning of a mosque is particularly sensitive, risking broader unrest across the West Bank.
The big picture:
Eyewitnesses say settlers stormed the area of Deir Istiya before dawn on Thursday, set fire to parts of the Hajja Hamida Mosque, and spray-painted racist Hebrew slogans on its walls. Residents managed to extinguish the blaze, but the mosque suffered damage.
This attack is part of a surge in assaults on Islamic holy sites, including vandalism, arson, and Quran desecration.
According to the Palestinian Authority’s Commission Against the Wall and Settlements, settlers have carried out more than 7,100 attacks across the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war, violence that has killed dozens of Palestinians and displaced entire communities, often with the involvement or oversight of the Israeli regime’s military forces.
What he is saying:
In a statement on its Telegram channel, Hamas said the arson attack “exposes the depth of Israeli racism and sadism toward the Palestinian people and their Islamic and Christian holy sites,” calling it “a blatant assault on the feelings of Muslims and their freedom of worship.”
The movement stated that the ‘fascist occupation government of the Israeli regime’ is providing full support to settler militias in their efforts to impose new facts on the ground and alter the historical and demographic character of the occupied territories.
Hamas urged urgent international action, saying the ongoing assaults violate international law, human rights norms, and religious protections.
Key points:
• The Hajja Hamida Mosque near Kafr Haris and Deir Istiya suffered arson damage and racist Hebrew graffiti.
• Palestinian rights groups say attacks on mosques and other Islamic sites have surged this year under the climate created by the Israeli regime’s policies.
• Hamas argues these attacks are part of a systematic strategy enabled by the Israeli regime, not isolated actions by rogue groups.
Go deeper:
UN: Settler Attacks on Palestinians in West Bank Hit Record High
M.Majdi - Hossein Vaez
