Settlers burn West Bank mosque after rare Israeli rebuke of violence

# Settlers burn West Bank mosque after rare Israeli rebuke of violence

*Event date: 2025-11-13*

Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque in the occupied West Bank and defaced its exterior wall overnight, Palestinian officials said Thursday, in a fresh episode of violence that followed a rare public rebuke of settler attacks from Israeli leaders.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said settlers had burned the Hajja Hamida mosque near Deir Istiya and called the attack a direct violation of the sanctity of a place of worship. Photos from the site showed smoke-blackened interior walls and burnt copies of the Quran. Hebrew graffiti on the exterior included phrases such as “we are not afraid,” “we will revenge again” and “keep on condemning,” suggesting defiance of Israeli criticism.

The mosque fire was the latest in a series of incidents across the West Bank. On Tuesday, dozens of settlers set vehicles and other property on fire in the villages of Beit Lid and Deir Sharaf. When Israeli soldiers arrived, the settlers reportedly fled to a nearby industrial area and then attacked the soldiers. Israeli authorities said four Israelis were arrested and four Palestinians were injured.

The attacks drew unusual condemnations from the top of Israel’s political and military establishment. President Isaac Herzog described the violence as “shocking and serious” and urged authorities to act decisively. Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, the military chief, said civilian attacks on Palestinians and Israelis crossed a red line and diverted troops from their mission.

The White House also said it was watching developments closely. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that unrest in the West Bank could spill over and undermine the Gaza ceasefire effort. Israel has not commented in detail on the mosque attack itself, though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads a coalition that includes hardline ministers who support annexation of the territory.

The violence comes against a broader backdrop of rising conflict in the West Bank since the Gaza war began in October 2023. The Guardian report cited Palestinian and UN figures showing more than 1,000 Palestinians killed in clashes with Israeli settlers or military forces, while the UN recorded 264 settler attacks in October 2025 alone, the highest monthly total since it began keeping track in 2006.

The report also noted that over 500,000 Israelis live in settlements across the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967 and which are regarded as illegal under international law. Prosecutions of settler violence remain rare, leaving Palestinian communities to face repeated attacks with little accountability.