A mosque in the West Bank village of Kusra was set ablaze and spray-painted with the words "Revenge for Benayahu" and a Star of David in a suspected settler-motivated reprisal. The incidents followed a deadly Friday shooting that killed Benayahu Mellet and Maj. Yuval Ezra. Additional arson attacks hit Beitillu and Khirbet Abu Falah, and two Palestinians were hospitalized after beatings. OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth restricted Palestinian labor access to Israeli communities while investigations continue.
West Bank Mosque Burned and Daubed 'Revenge for Benayahu' in Suspected Settler Reprisal
Aftermath of West Bank mosque set on fire by settlers, July 26, 2026. (photo credit: VIA WALLA)
A mosque in the West Bank village of Kusra was set on fire late Saturday night. The entrance was spray-painted with the words "Revenge for Benayahu" alongside a Star of David, in what Israeli authorities are treating as a suspected nationalist-motivated reprisal following a deadly shooting the previous day.
Local reaction and condemnation. MK Ahmad Tibi condemned the attack on X (Twitter), writing:
"Imagine the reaction if a Palestinian, or even a Frenchman, had set fire to a synagogue. When a mosque is burned, and those responsible are not arrested, that is not a 'price tag.' This is Jewish terrorism."
Tibi described the perpetrators as "settler-terrorists," calling them "invaders, arsonists, uprooters, and murderers," and characterized the attack as an expression of "Jewish supremacy."
Related incidents and injuries. Over the same weekend, five vehicles were set ablaze in the nearby village of Beitillu, and tractors and trucks were reportedly torched near Khirbet Abu Falah. Two Palestinians who were reportedly beaten during those incidents were evacuated to hospital for treatment.
Scene inside the mosque attacked by Israeli settlers in the West Bank on July 26, 2026. (credit: Walla)
Victims of the earlier shooting. The violence follows a deadly shooting on Friday in which two Israelis were killed: Benayahu Mellet, a member of the local emergency response squad and agriculture coordinator at the Havat Gilad outpost, and Maj. Yuval Ezra, 27, a battery commander in the Artillery Corps from Herzliya.
According to military sources, during the initial confrontation a rifle and a handgun were taken from a member of the local emergency response team; the attacker then opened fire and killed him. The IDF has described the shooting as spontaneous but says the group's departure on the excursion without prior coordination was a serious breach. The incident remains under investigation.
Security measures. In response to the recent escalation, OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth ordered that Palestinian laborers be barred from entering Israeli communities in the West Bank, except for industrial zones. A security source said construction sites may receive exemptions at the request of local communities.
Ongoing concerns. The mosque arson and the string of related attacks have heightened tensions across the area. Authorities say investigations are continuing and calls for arrests and accountability have intensified among Palestinian leaders and some Israeli lawmakers.
Help us improve.
