Israeli settlers set fire to two mosques on July 26 in the occupied West Bank, one in Qusra and another in the village of Kour near Tulkarem, following deadly clashes days earlier near the village of Tal southwest of Nablus [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. The mosque in Qusra, which was still under construction, suffered extensive damage. "The fire destroyed the mosque’s entrance and even damaged its stonework," said Abdel Azim Wadi, the mayor of Qusra [7]. Attackers also spray-painted Hebrew graffiti on the mosque walls, including the word "revenge" and other slogans [1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7]. In Kour, settlers attempted to burn the mosque, but worshippers managed to extinguish the fire before it reached the main prayer area [2, 4, 5, 6, 7].
The mosque attacks came after clashes on July 24 or 25 near Tal left four Palestinians and two Israelis dead when settlers tried to enter the village [1, 2, 8, 9, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Following the violence, the Israeli military launched wide-scale raids across the West Bank on July 26, detaining dozens of Palestinians in towns including Tal, Ramallah, Jenin, Hebron, Bethlehem, and Tulkarem [1, 8, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "The instructions we gave were to enter villages, search them, seize weapons and make arrests" [5]. Palestinians in the area face ongoing roadblocks and closures, causing serious hardship [8, 4, 7].
The attacks are part of a sharp rise in settler violence in the West Bank this year, including attempts to displace Palestinians and damage to mosques and property [1, 2, 9, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 6, 7]. The United Nations human rights office said settler violence, often coordinated with Israeli security forces, has worsened in 2026, including killings and arson attacks on religious sites. UN spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani stated, "Settlers and Israeli security forces, often acting together, have attacked local communities, assaulting families, destroying and confiscating property, and burning mosques." [9]
Since October 2023, more than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, mostly by Israeli forces, with at least 35 deaths caused by settlers to date [1, 9, 6, 7]. Israeli figures report at least 48 Israelis have been killed by Palestinians or during military operations in the same period [1, 6, 7]. Meanwhile, villages such as at-Tuwani and Qusra continue to experience repeated settler attacks involving arson, graffiti, assaults, and efforts to displace residents. Khadera Ima, a resident of at-Tuwani, described the violence: "I saw them set fire to the factory, to the mosque, to homes. They threw petrol and rocks at our house. My son was at the window. It is good they did not kill him." [12]
The Israeli military said troops were dispatched to Qusra and police are investigating the mosque arson and graffiti spray-painting [1, 2, 4, 6, 7]. On July 29, the UN human rights office called for international action in response to the escalating settler violence and settlement expansion [9].
