Israeli settlers torch two mosques in West Bank

QUSRA (Palestinian Territories), July 26 (AFP): Palestinian officials said Israeli settlers set fire to two mosques in the occupied West Bank overnight Sunday, after this week's deadly clashes in the territory left six people dead.

Violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has surged since the Gaza war began with Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Abdel Azim Wadi, mayor of the town of Qusra, south of the city of Nablus, told AFP that settlers torched a mosque under construction in the southern part of the town.

"The fire destroyed the mosque's entrance and even damaged its stonework," Wadi said.

He added that the attackers spray-painted Hebrew graffiti on the mosque's walls, including the word "revenge".

The Israeli military said troops were dispatched to the outskirts of Qusra after receiving a report that a mosque had been set ablaze.

"The soldiers searched for suspects who had fled prior to their arrival and identified signs of arson and graffiti at the scene," it said, adding that Israeli police would investigate and collect evidence.

In a separate incident, Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque in the village of Kour, near Tulkarem, and sprayed racist slogans on its walls, according to the Palestinian ministry of endowments and religious affairs.