Israeli settlers set fire to mosques, cars and farmland in West Bank, Palestinians say

Palestinian officials say Israeli settlers set fire to two mosques, as well as cars and agricultural land in the occupied West Bank, following a deadly clash between settlers and Palestinians near the village of Tal that left four Palestinians and two Israelis dead. Both sides blame each other for provoking the violence. The confrontation has further inflamed the situation in the West Bank, where extremist settler attacks on Palestinians have been rising, encouraged by far-right elements in the current Israeli government.

Reports indicate that overnight, two villages were attacked, with cars vandalized, property stolen, and hate graffiti spray-painted on walls. The mayor of Qusra said settlers set fire to a mosque under construction, spray-painting the word "revenge" on its walls. The Israeli military sent troops to Qusra and said police would investigate. In a separate incident in Kour, settlers set fire to another mosque and sprayed slogans on its walls.

Since Friday's deadly clash in Tal, Palestinians report multiple settler attacks on villages across the West Bank. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have carried out raids and arrested over 130 individuals in what they call a "counter-terrorism" operation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed "powerful action," including possible demolition of homes of two Palestinians allegedly involved.

A man visiting from Miami, who was injured in the attack and required 12 stitches, said the attackers had covered faces and came prepared with sticks and other items. Later, villagers spotted settlers again at the entrance, and young men rushed to barricade and defend the village. Israeli soldiers stood between the groups, using tear gas to push Palestinians back.

The Israeli military said Sunday it is working to prevent "incidents of nationalist crime"—its term for attacks by extremist settlers. However, while Israeli leaders publicly condemn extremist violence, they have overseen a rapid growth in wildcat settlement outposts, which human rights groups say fuel attacks on Palestinians. Netanyahu said he would speed up the establishment and legalization of farm outposts in the West Bank after the killings in Tal.

Settler attacks in the West Bank have sharply increased in recent months, drawing international condemnation but showing little sign of reversal. The situation had deteriorated before the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, but has escalated since the Gaza war. The UN says 1,114 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, mostly by the IDF, with at least 35 killed in settler attacks. Forty-one Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations in the West Bank since the Gaza war began. Israel has built hundreds of settlements housing 700,000 Jews since occupying the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967; an estimated 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside them. The settlements are illegal under international law.