Israeli Settlers Burn 2 Mosques and Attack Villages in Occupied West Bank
• Palestinian officials say settlers torched two mosques, vandalised cars, and sprayed hate graffiti across villages in the West Bank overnight
• The attacks came two days after a deadly clash near the village of Tal that killed four Palestinians and two Israelis
• Israeli forces launched a counter-terrorism operation in the West Bank, arresting dozens of Palestinians following the Friday violence
Palestinian officials say Israeli settlers attacked two villages in the occupied West Bank overnight, burning mosques, destroying cars, stealing property, and spraying hate graffiti on walls, as tensions in the territory continue to rise sharply.
The mayor of Qusra, Abdul Azim Wadi, said settlers set fire to a mosque that was under construction in the village, adding that the word "revenge" was among the slogans spray painted on its walls. In a separate incident, Palestinian officials say settlers burned a second mosque in the village of Kour and marked its walls with similar slogans.
Source: Getty Images
According to BBC, the Israeli military confirmed that troops were deployed to Qusra and said police would investigate and gather evidence.
Deadly clash triggers wider violence
The overnight attacks followed a confrontation near the village of Tal on Friday that left four Palestinians and two Israelis dead. Both sides accused the other of starting the violence. Since then, Palestinians say settlers have carried out multiple attacks on villages across the West Bank.
The Israel Defence Forces launched what it called a "counter-terrorism" operation in the territory, arresting dozens of Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to take "powerful action" in response to the Tal incident, including the possible demolition of homes belonging to Palestinians allegedly involved in the clash.
A Pattern of escalating violence
Settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank have grown sharply in recent months and drawn international condemnation, though there has been little sign of the situation improving. Violence in the territory was already worsening before Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, but the subsequent war in Gaza has made conditions significantly worse.
The United Nations says 1,114 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, the vast majority by the Israeli military, with at least 35 deaths attributed to settler attacks. At least 41 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations in the West Bank since the Gaza war began.
Israel has built hundreds of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since occupying the territories in the 1967 Middle East war. Around 700,000 Jewish settlers now live there alongside an estimated 3.3 million Palestinians. The settlements are considered illegal under international law.
Source: Getty Images
Iran executes senior official spying for Israeli govt
Legit.ng earlier reported that Iran has carried out the execution of a senior figure within its civil defence authority after he was found guilty of espionage on behalf of Israel. This was revealed by reports from the country’s judiciary media arm.
Authorities said the official had been working with Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence service, in a case that underscores rising tensions amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The execution marks one of the most high-profile espionage cases in recent months, as Tehran continues to clamp down on suspected foreign operatives, Aljazeera reported.
Source: Legit.ng
