Israeli occupiers torch under construction mosque in occupied West Bank

Israeli occupiers set fire to an under-construction mosque and part of a Palestinian home in separate attacks across the occupied West Bank early Sunday, while several workers were injured in another assault east of Ramallah, according to official Palestinian media.

Abdel Azim Wadi, mayor of Qusra, south of Nablus, told the official Palestinian news agency WAFA that occupiers raided the southern part of the town and set fire to Al-Rahma Mosque, which was under construction.

The attack burned wooden materials and construction equipment at the site, he said.

In the nearby town of Beit Furik, east of Nablus, Palestinian security sources told WAFA that occupiers attacked the Al-Dubbat neighborhood and set fire to the home of a resident, causing partial damage before firefighters brought the blaze under control.

The same sources said the attackers also spray-painted racist graffiti calling for revenge against Arabs.

In a separate incident, several Palestinian workers were injured after occupiers attacked a stone-crushing facility in the Ein Samiya area near the town of Kafr Malik, east of Ramallah, local sources said.

The workers sustained various injuries and bruises after being assaulted, while the occupiers also set fire to heavy machinery before leaving the area, according to the agency.

The incidents come amid continued Israeli escalation across the West Bank over the past few days.

Israeli occupiers, backed by the army, attacked the Palestinian town of Tell near Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank, killing four Palestinians. Two Israelis were also killed in a shooting during the confrontation, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.

Israeli forces imposed a siege on Nablus and surrounding towns following the violence, carried out mass arrest raids, and announced preparations for a wide-scale military operation across the West Bank.

Since October 2023, Israeli forces and occupiers have killed at least 1,182 Palestinians in the West Bank, injured thousands and detained around 24,000, according to official Palestinian figures.