Settlers torch mosque in Salfit and spray racist graffiti
Israeli settlers set fire to the Hajjah Hamidah Mosque in Salfit in the northern West Bank and defaced the building with racist Hebrew slogans on Thursday, Palestinian authorities said. Images released by the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs show burned interior areas, blackened walls, shattered windows and graffiti including the slur "Mohammed is a pig" alongside a phrase referencing IDF West Bank commander Avi Bluth.
The ministry condemned the attack as a "heinous crime and a blatant assault on the feelings of Muslims," saying settler groups have carried out frequent assaults on Islamic holy sites and private property amid a broader and systematic escalation in such violations.
Ministry statement: "The attack resulted in parts of the mosque being set on fire and defaced with racist graffiti by settler gangs, who carry out daily assaults on Islamic holy sites and citizens' properties amid a systematic escalation in both the frequency and nature of these violations."
In a statement to CNN, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it dispatched forces to "review the incident and conduct scans" and transferred the case to the Israel Police for further processing, adding that "no suspects were identified." The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs held the Israeli government "fully and directly responsible for this crime and its consequences."
About 700,000 Jewish settlers live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territory Palestinians seek for a future state; Israeli settlements in those occupied territories are regarded as illegal under international law. Observers and Palestinian officials say settler attacks on Palestinians and their property have risen this year, particularly during the olive-harvest months.
Related arson in Beit Lid and eyewitness accounts
Earlier this week, dozens of settlers carried out a major arson assault on agricultural land near Beit Lid in the northern West Bank, setting fire to a newly built dairy factory and torching vehicles and tents in an adjacent Bedouin community. Footage obtained by CNN shows people pouring gasoline on vehicles before igniting them; smoke and chaotic scenes were reported as residents scrambled to extinguish fires.
Monjed Aljuneidi, an executive at Al-Juneidi Dairy and Food Company, described the attack as "indescribable," saying dozens of settlers scaled factory fences from multiple directions. Nearby residents in the Bedouin village of Deir Sharaf reported at least four Palestinians hospitalized after beatings and said several sheep were killed.
Israeli Police initially said four suspects were detained for questioning over "extreme violence," but later released three. The IDF also reported that some settlers attacked Israeli soldiers and damaged a military vehicle during the incidents. Palestinian officials have called on international and Islamic bodies to act to ensure accountability and to end what they call a policy of settler violence supported by elements of the occupation government.
Context: A United Nations report released last week recorded at least 264 settler attacks in October, the highest monthly total since the UN began tracking such incidents in 2006. Humanitarian and rights organizations warn that repeated attacks are harming Palestinian livelihoods, particularly during the olive harvest season.
