Global Condemnation After “Israeli” Settlers Torch West Bank Mosque

By Staff, Agencies

An arson attack by illegal “Israeli” settlers on a mosque in the occupied West Bank has drawn widespread international condemnation, amid escalating settler violence, military raids, and forced displacement of Palestinians following “Israel’s” ongoing genocidal war on Gaza.

The Hajja Hamida Mosque, located in the Palestinian village of Deir Istiya northwest of Salfit, was set ablaze early Thursday. Photographs from the scene showed racist graffiti against Arabs and Muslims spray-painted on the mosque’s walls, while copies of the Qur’an were reportedly burned. Local residents intervened to prevent the fire from consuming the entire building, according to anti-settlement activist Nazmi Salman, cited by the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

A spokesperson for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the assault, stressing that religious sites must always be respected and protected. Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York that “all attacks by ‘Israeli’ settlers against Palestinians and their property in the occupied West Bank” must cease, and called on “‘Israel’, as the occupying power, to protect the Palestinian civilian population and hold the perpetrators accountable.”

Hamas denounced the attack as a “heinous crime” and a blatant violation of Muslims’ rights to freedom of worship. The group stated that the incident “reveals the sadism and racism practiced by the occupying entity against our people and our Islamic and Christian holy sites,” adding that such “terrorist settler crimes” are “carried out with full support” of “Israel” in an attempt to impose a new reality on the occupied Palestinian territories.

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the spike in settler attacks. Spokesperson Fouad Majali described the assault as “an extension of the extremist policies of the ‘Israeli’ entity,” warning that ongoing settler violence and restrictions on Palestinians threaten regional stability. He urged the international community to compel “Israel” to halt these violations and respect Palestinians’ right to establish a sovereign state along the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Al-Quds [“Jerusalem”] as its capital.

The Swiss Foreign Ministry expressed deep concern over the growing violence by “Israeli” settlers, calling for an immediate end to both the attacks and the expansion of illegal settlements. Germany echoed this position, demanding thorough investigations and accountability for those responsible.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice [ICJ] declared “Israel’s” decades-long occupation of historical Palestine illegal. The court called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Al-Quds. Although the ICJ’s advisory opinion is not legally binding, it carries significant political weight as the first formal ruling on the legality of the 57-year occupation.