Israeli Settlers Torch West Bank Mosque, Sparking International Outrage
A mosque in the Palestinian village of Deir Istiya in the central West Bank was set ablaze overnight by Israeli settlers in a wave of increasing violence, according to multiple global news outlets. The settlers vandalized the mosque with hateful messages and torched copies of the Quran. The incident has sparked international concern and condemnation, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warning that the escalating settler violence could undermine peace efforts in Gaza.
Background and Context
The West Bank has become a hotspot for violent clashes between Israeli settlers and Palestinians since the 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas. The violence has intensified, particularly in recent weeks as Palestinians engage in their annual olive harvest, a ritual that has been marred by hundreds of attacks from young settlers, according to The Hindu.
This latest incident of the mosque torching comes amid a spike in settler violence, which has displaced thousands and drawn rare rebuke from Israeli authorities, as reported by Deutsche Welle and The Times of Israel.
The Incident and Its Aftermath
Residents arrived for dawn prayers at the Hajja Hamida Mosque, located between the towns of Kafr Haris and Deir Istiya, to find the door broken and flames raging inside. "I tried to go inside the mosque to put out the fire, but I couldn’t because of the thick plumes of smoke and the intense heat,” Imam Ahmad Ahed Salman, who leads prayers at the mosque, told Middle East Eye. The Civil Defence in Deir Istiya managed to bring the blaze under control.
The settlers, according to a resident, had poured flammable materials inside the mosque before Fajr, or dawn prayer. Settlers had also left graffitied messages on the mosque's walls, threatening revenge after condemnation from Israeli military generals.
International Reactions and Implications
The arson attack and the surge in settler violence have drawn international condemnation, with calls for justice growing. The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio became one of the few in the Trump administration to criticize Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank after reiterating the Israeli president's and senior military officials' condemnation of recent settler attacks.
“There is certainly some concern that events in the West Bank could have repercussions that could undermine what we are doing in Gaza,” Rubio told reporters, expressing the potential implications of the escalating violence on the peace process in Gaza.
Israeli Leaders' Stand
Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir and President Isaac Herzog denounced the settler attacks, with Zamir stating that the military “will not tolerate criminal behaviour by a small minority that tarnishes the law-abiding public”. Herzog echoed this sentiment, urging authorities to “act decisively to eradicate the phenomenon”.
Conclusion
As the probe into the mosque arson continues, the rising assaults across the West Bank highlight the tense situation in the region. It remains to be seen how this escalating violence will affect the already fragile peace process in Gaza, and whether Israeli authorities will take significant steps to curb the settler attacks.