Israeli settlers set mosque on fire in West Bank

Jerusalem, Nov. 13 (dpa/NAN) — Radical Israeli settlers have reportedly vandalised and set fire to a mosque in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported on Thursday.

According to the report, the attack occurred in a village in the north-western part of the territory in the early hours of the morning. The assailants allegedly sprayed racist slogans on the mosque’s walls before setting parts of the building ablaze.

Other media outlets said some of the graffiti contained insults against Prophet Mohammed written in Hebrew.

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The Israeli military said it had launched an investigation into the incident. There were no immediate reports of injuries, though video footage circulating in both Palestinian and Israeli media showed significant damage to the mosque.

Acts of vandalism and violence by radical settlers against Palestinians have risen sharply since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, which followed the Hamas-led attacks on Israel.

The period has also seen an overall increase in deadly clashes involving Palestinians and the Israeli army across the West Bank.

Human rights groups and Palestinian officials have frequently accused the Israeli military of failing to curb settler violence, which they say contributes to growing instability in the occupied territory.