In brief
Palestinian officials report that Israeli settlers set fire to two mosques, vandalised cars and damaged farmland in the occupied West Bank. The attacks come two days after a clash near Tal that left six people dead. Israeli forces have deployed troops in Qusra to investigate and are preparing for a counter‑terrorism operation. The violence reflects a broader surge in settler attacks following the Gaza war, prompting international criticism.
Israeli settlers set fire to two mosques, vandalised cars and destroyed farmland in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials say, amid growing tensions after a deadly clash near Tal two days earlier.
The clash left four Palestinians and two Israelis dead, and both sides blamed the other for provoking the violence. The incidents add to a mounting wave of settler attacks, described as extremist offences by the Israeli military.
In Qusra, the mayor reported that a mosque under construction was set ablaze overnight, and graffiti bearing the word "revenge" was spray‑painted on the building’s walls. Palestinian officials say a separate mosque in Kour was also targeted with flames and slogans etched on its exterior.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have dispatched troops to Qusra and promised police would investigate and gather evidence. In whose presence, settlers and Palestinians clashed in a scene that local witnesses described as chaotic.
Around the same time, an outpost near Sarra was reported to have appeared, signalling the rapid expansion of new settlements amid the turmoil. The Prime Minister pledged to accelerate the legalisation of farm outposts in the West Bank in reaction to the killings in Tal.
The escalation in settler violence has drawn international condemnation, yet there is little sign of reversal. The UN reports that 1,114 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, with at least 35 attributed to settler attacks.
Since the war with Hamas began in October 2023, settler attacks have surged, illustrating a deepening divide that threatens continued instability in the region.
