Israeli settlers set fire to mosque in occupied West Bank
MIKHMAS: Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque and graffitied its outside walls on Wednesday in the occupied West Bank village of Mikhmas, Palestinian sources and the Israeli military said. Atta Kanaan, a Palestinian resident of Mikhmas who lives 50 metres from the mosque, told AFP that he heard the sound of breaking glass shortly after midnight on Wednesday and immediately went to the building.…
On Wednesday, Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque and spray-painted Hebrew slogans on its exterior walls in the occupied West Bank village of Mikhmas, according to Palestinian sources and the Israeli military. Atta Kanaan, a local resident, heard the sound of breaking glass around midnight and found the mosque engulfed in flames.
He and others quickly called the fire brigade, managing to contain the blaze before it spread fully. Israel's military stated that soldiers were dispatched following reports of graffiti and arson at the mosque, along with damage to a vehicle. So far, no suspects have been identified, and an investigation has been launched. Video footage revealed that the fire had destroyed the mosque's interior carpeting and blackened the walls.
An AFP journalist observed Hebrew slogans, including "just because we are quiet doesn’t mean we are asleep," spray-painted on the exterior. Settlers also set fire to a car, Kanaan reported. In recent weeks, villagers have formed night-watch patrols out of fear that settlers might torch homes, particularly those on the village outskirts.
Rouhi Fattouh, president of the Palestinian National Council, called the arson attack on the mosque a "barbaric act and a dangerous escalation in settler terrorism."
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
