An Islamic place of worship in the occupied West Bank became the target of a deliberate arson assault early Monday, marking another escalation in settler-led violence against Palestinian communities. The Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Mosque, situated in the village of Tell southwest of Nablus, sustained significant damage to its exterior gates and surrounding grounds from the intentionally set blaze.
Local residents managed to contain the fire before it could penetrate the mosque’s interior, preventing more extensive structural damage. Investigation revealed that perpetrators had defaced the religious site with racially charged graffiti, including the terms ‘revenge’ and ‘price tag’—a reference to systematic vandalism campaigns targeting Palestinian properties.
The Islamic Waqf organization, which oversees administration of the mosque compound, confirmed extremist settlers as responsible for the attack and indicated coordination with relevant authorities regarding the incident. Village council leader Naaman Ramadan noted this attack follows numerous previous assaults on the area, all occurring without meaningful intervention from security forces.
Official condemnation came from the Palestinian Ministry of Religious Endowments and Affairs, which highlighted that 45 mosques suffered similar attacks throughout 2025. The ministry emphasized that these assaults consistently occur with implicit protection from Israeli military presence.
Christian Palestinian communities likewise face increasing threats, with over 50,000 residents currently living under heightened risk from both settlers and security forces. Since the beginning of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, documented cases of settler violence have surged dramatically, with official data recording approximately 4,723 incidents during 2025 alone.
The broader context reveals a distressing human toll: more than 1,000 Palestinian fatalities in the West Bank over two years, including 217 minors, attributable to actions by Israeli troops and settlers operating with widespread impunity.