DEIR ISTIYA, WEST BANK – ISRAELI SETTLERS destroyed by arson mosque Palestinian villages in the heart of the West Bank also wrote hate messages, reflecting the escalating violence in the Palestinian territory that has been occupied for half a century.
A Palestinian town wall and at least three copies of the Koran, as well as some carpets from a mosque. Deir Istiyah, They appeared to have been burned when an Associated Press reporter visited the scene Thursday.
On one side of the mosque, settlers left graffiti that reads: “We are not afraid”, “We will take revenge again”, “We will continue to condemn”. The Hebrew graffiti is difficult to decipher and appears to refer to Major General. Avi Bruce The commander of the Army’s Central Command issued a rare condemnation of the violence Wednesday.
The Israeli military said in a statement: sent troops The incident is under investigation, but no suspects have been identified. He added that he intended to transfer the case to Israeli police and security authorities.
The incident continues a series of attacks and has raised concerns among senior officials, military leaders and the US presidential administration. donald trump, A ceasefire agreement in the devastated Gaza Strip is the current framework for ending the war, although it is unstable.
The US Secretary of State marco rubio “There are concerns that events in the West Bank could spread and create an impact that could undermine what we are doing in Gaza,” he said.
The Israeli authorities settler violence As the work of a small group of extremists. But Palestinians and human rights groups say the violence is widespread by settlers across the territory and that Israel’s far-right government, led by the prime minister, is going unpunished. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The latest round of convictions came in response to a particularly brazen attack on Tuesday. when dozens of masked Israeli settlers set vehicles and other objects on fire. in the Palestinian villages of Beit Lid and Deir Sharaf.
The army said the settlers then fled to a nearby industrial area, where they attacked soldiers who tried to stop the violence and damaged military vehicles. 4 Israelis arrested, 4 Palestinians injuredaccording to authorities.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog described the attack as follows: “It’s shocking and serious.” Herzog’s position, although largely ceremonial, is intended to serve as a moral compass and a unifying force for the country.
Herzog said the violence was carried out by a “handful” of perpetrators. “Crossed the red line” “All state authorities must act decisively to eradicate this phenomenon,” he added.
Like Herzog, Israeli army chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir condemned the violence in the West Bank and reiterated that the army “will not tolerate this phenomenon.” a few criminals Acts that harm law-abiding citizens.
Foreign Minister Zamir stressed that the military is committed to preventing violence by settlers. Settlers are people who oppose Israeli values; “They distract our troops from accomplishing their mission.”
According to police reports, Three of the suspects in Tuesday’s attack have been released. The fourth suspect, a juvenile arrested on suspicion of arson and assault, will be held for an additional six days. Police added that three people were released for action. Still under investigation “The aim is to bring criminals to justice, regardless of their origins.”
settler violence has been steadily increasing for decades, And the mosque in Deir Istiyah had previously been attacked by settlers.
colonists They destroyed a mosque in 2012, According to the US Department of State, And again in 2014, According to a summary of settler violence from the Anti-Defamation League website.
Violence peaked before the Gaza war broke out more than two years ago and has worsened since then. October This month was the month with the highest number of settler attacks in the West Bank. Since the United Nations Humanitarian Office began keeping records in 2006.
Palestinians say the purpose of the violence is to force them off their land. The United Nations Humanitarian Office announced that 3,535 Palestinians have been displaced by settler violence and access restrictions since 2023, a sharp increase from the previous year.
Settlers encouraged by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government Expanded beyond the limits of existing settlements to establish new agricultural outposts they call “Young village”.
Outposts are usually no more than a few huts and barns, but Now they are spreading out over the hills of the settlement and towards Palestinian villages. Some of the settlers also took control of farmland and village water sources.
Palestinians and human rights activists have accused the Israeli army and police of failing to stop settler attacks. israel government It is dominated by far-right defenders of the settler movement; They include Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who formulates settlement policy, and Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who is in charge of police.
about 94% of all research files Opened by the Israeli Police on settler violence from 2005 to 2024 They were not charged, but According to monitoring by Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din. Since 2005, only 3% of settler violence investigation files have resulted in full or partial convictions.
AFP news agency and ANSA news agency
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