GAZA – Hamas has strongly condemned the torching of two mosques in the occupied West Bank by Israeli settlers, describing the attacks as part of a systematic campaign targeting Islamic holy sites under the protection of the Israeli occupation.
In a statement issued on Sunday, senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said the arson attacks on Al-Rahma Mosque in the town of Qusra, south of Nablus, and a mosque under construction in the village of Kur, south of Tulkarm, constituted a “systematic fascist crime” and a flagrant violation of religious sanctities.
“The burning of mosques represents a dangerous escalation in the occupation’s campaign against Palestinian holy sites and reflects the level of extremism and fascism embraced by the occupation and its settler militias,” Mardawi said.
He called on Palestinians across the occupied West Bank to mobilize in defense of Islamic holy sites, stressing that Palestinians “will not allow these attacks to pass unanswered” and will continue protecting their religious and national heritage from ongoing settler assaults.
Calls for international accountability
Mardawi also urged Arab and Muslim countries, as well as the international community, to take concrete action against what he described as escalating settler crimes targeting Islamic sanctities.
He called for holding both the perpetrators and Israeli political and military leaders accountable, accusing the Israeli government of encouraging settler violence through policies of impunity and incitement.
Two mosques targeted within hours
Earlier on Sunday, Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque in the village of Kur, south of Tulkarm, and another mosque under construction in Qusra, south of Nablus, in two separate attacks that took place within hours of one another.
The attacks come amid a sharp escalation in settler violence across the occupied West Bank, where assaults on Palestinian villages, religious sites, agricultural land, and civilian property have increased significantly since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023.
Escalating Israeli violence in the West Bank
The mosque attacks follow deadly violence in the town of Tal, west of Nablus, where four Palestinians were killed on Friday during confrontations after Israeli settlers stormed the town. Israeli authorities also reported that two Israeli soldiers were killed during the clashes.
According to official Palestinian figures, Israeli military raids and settler attacks across the occupied West Bank since October 2023 have killed at least 1,186 Palestinians and led to the arrest of approximately 24,000 others, amid what Palestinian officials describe as a widening campaign of repression accompanying Israel’s ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.
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