Illegal Israeli settlers have set fire to two mosques in separate attacks across the occupied West Bank, targeting a mosque in the village of Kur, south of Tulkarem, and another one under construction in the town of Qusra, south of Nablus.
The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said Israeli occupiers stormed the village of Kur and set fire to a mosque on Sunday, causing partial damage to the building and its interior.
The attackers also spray-painted racist graffiti on the mosque's walls before leaving the area, while local residents managed to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading.
WAFA said the attack in Kur came just hours after Israeli settlers set fire to Al-Rahma Mosque, which was under construction in Qusra.
Abdel Azim Wadi, the mayor of Qusra, said the attack burned wooden materials and construction equipment at the site.
‘Heinous crime’
The Palestinian Awqaf and Religious Affairs Ministry condemned the “heinous crime” targeting the mosque in Kur, adding that Israeli settlers attacked 45 mosques across the occupied West Bank in 2025 under the protection of the Israeli army.
In the nearby town of Beit Furik, east of Nablus, Palestinian security sources told WAFA that settlers attacked the Al-Dubbat neighbourhood and set fire to a resident's home, causing partial damage before firefighters brought the blaze under control.
The attackers also spray-painted racist graffiti calling for revenge against Arabs.
The incidents come amid continued Israeli escalation across the West Bank over the past few days.
On Friday, Israeli settlers, backed by the army, attacked the Palestinian town of Tell near Nablus, killing four Palestinians. Two Israelis were also killed in a shooting during the confrontation, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.
Escalating attacks
Israeli forces also imposed a siege on Nablus and surrounding towns following the violence, carried out mass arrest raids, and announced preparations for a wide-scale military operation across the occupied West Bank.
Since October 2023, Israeli forces and occupiers have killed at least 1,182 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, injured thousands and detained around 24,000, according to official Palestinian figures.
The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said in a report on July 6 that Israeli settlers carried out 3,488 attacks against Palestinians and their property in the first half of this year, including assaults on villages, arson attacks on homes, shootings, land seizures and the establishment of settlement outposts, leaving 17 Palestinians dead.
Palestinians warn that the escalating attacks are part of Israeli efforts to pave the way for the formal annexation of the occupied West Bank, undermining the prospects for an independent Palestinian state envisioned in relevant UN resolutions.
