The Pak Global Pakistan:
In a disturbing escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank, Israeli settlers have vandalized and set fire to the Abu Bakr as-Siddiq Mosque, located between Sarra and Tal near Nablus, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The Wafa news agency reported on Monday that the mosque’s walls were defaced with racist slogans and incendiary graffiti.
Worshippers arriving for the first prayers of the day discovered the mosque damaged, with black smoke staining its entrance and broken glass scattered around. Local resident Munir Ramdan described the scene, noting that security footage revealed two individuals approaching the mosque carrying gasoline and spray paint before fleeing shortly after.
The attackers spray-painted offensive graffiti denigrating the Prophet Muhammad and scrawled the words “revenge” and “price tag,” a phrase associated with settler violence against Palestinians.
This attack is part of a broader surge in Israeli settler and military violence in the West Bank amid the ongoing conflict related to Israel’s war against Palestinians in Gaza. Since the Gaza war began in October 2023, over 1,090 Palestinians have reportedly been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank, according to the United Nations.
A recent UN Human Rights Council report condemned Israeli policies in the West Bank, including unlawful force and home demolitions, which it said aimed to forcibly displace Palestinians—a potential war crime—and alter the region’s demographic makeup, raising fears of ethnic cleansing.
Locals in the West Bank village of Tal expressed that the mosque attack was a deliberate provocation during Ramadan, targeting not just individuals but their faith.
The Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Religious Affairs noted that 45 mosques were vandalized or attacked by settlers in the West Bank last year. Although Israeli military and police forces have responded to this recent incident and are searching for suspects, human rights groups criticize the authorities for allowing settler violence to continue unchecked.
Organizations like B’Tselem accuse Israel of enabling settler violence as part of a strategy to consolidate control over Palestinian land. The UN has also reported that these attacks often occur with the tacit approval or direct involvement of Israeli security forces.