Israeli settlers torch two West Bank mosques after deadly Tal clash

Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank early on Sunday, setting fire to two mosques and scrawling graffiti on buildings, Palestinian officials said.

Friday’s clash ignites a wave of retaliation

During the incident, villagers came out of their homes to confront the settlers and a stand-off ensued, with video appearing to show one of the Palestinians grabbing a settler's weapon. Palestinian local authorities say the settlers provoked the violence. The Israeli military said shots were fired by both sides.

Media additions

The Palestinian Authority, which has responsibility for the section of the West Bank where Friday's shootings took place, said the incident was part of a generalised assault on Palestinians.

"Israeli state-backed settler terrorism is intensifying into systematic pogroms across the occupied West Bank," the Palestinian prime minister's office said in a statement on the social media platform X.

As part of a security clampdown across the West Bank over the weekend, Israeli forces arrested around 60 Palestinians from Saturday night, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, which tracks Palestinians in Israeli custody.

The military also reported it had sealed the homes of two Palestinian militants suspected of killing the soldiers in preparation for their demolition. Israel often demolishes the homes of attackers, claiming it deters future attacks.

Sunday’s arson attacks on religious sites

Abdel Azim Wadi, head of the village council in Qusra, southeast of Nablus, said settlers had torched a newly completed mosque in his village early on Sunday.

"The mosque was in its final stage and was ready to receive worshippers. It had already been furnished with couches. They set it on fire and spray-painted Hebrew slogans on its walls,"

Abdel Azim Wadi, head of the village council in Qusra, southeast of Nablus, said settlers had torched a newly completed mosque in his village early on Sunday.

Ahmed Abu Mahmoud, 64, who lives next door to the Qusra mosque, said he heard noises at 3 a.m. And discovered the mosque had been set on fire. The fire was too large for him to fight on his own, so he called for help.

"The military arrived here, saw with their own eyes and then left,"

Ahmed Abu Mahmoud, 64, who lives next door to the Qusra mosque, said he heard noises at 3 a.m. and discovered the mosque had been set on fire. The fire was too large for him to fight on his own, so he called for help.

Farid Jiyousi, a member of the Kour village council, said three settlers had tried to set the mosque ablaze at dawn but worshippers had put out the fire before it reached the mosque's main area.

"This is the first attack our village has experienced,"

Farid Jiyousi, a member of the Kour village council, said three settlers had tried to set the mosque ablaze at dawn but worshippers had put out the fire before it reached the mosque's main area.

The Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs echoed these reports, stating that groups of settlers burned a mosque in Kour and wrote racist slogans on its walls.

Official responses and security measures

The Israeli military said troops sent to Qusra, which sits near several large Israeli settlements, had found graffiti and signs of arson and were searching for suspects. It said police officers would be sent to collect evidence. In an official statement, the military declared:

"The security forces strongly condemn incidents of this kind, including harm to religious sites, and will continue to act decisively to maintain security and public order in the area,"

The Israeli military said troops sent to Qusra, which sits near several large Israeli settlements, had found graffiti and signs of arson and were searching for suspects. It said police officers would be sent to collect evidence. In an official statement, the military declared:

An Israeli military official said such violence by Israelis diverts the defence force’s attention from its primary mission of defence and counter-terrorism in a complex environment. The official said, though, that over the weekend troops arrested more than 130 individuals, "including weapons traffickers, Hamas terrorist operatives, individuals involved in incitement, and terrorists planning to carry out imminent attacks."

On Sunday, Netanyahu said troops entered villages across the West Bank to seize weapons and make arrests. "We are also prepared to operate on a broader scale against the terrorist nests," he said.

On Sunday, Pope Leo said he was following the worsening violence with deep concern and called for negotiations to reach "a just political solution". He also called for a rejection of actions "that violate the respect and status quo of the holy sites of every religious faith".

Broader context of settler violence

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 87 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank this year, including 21 by Israeli settlers. Three Israelis have been killed in attacks by Palestinian militants in 2026, including the two soldiers Friday.

More than 700,000 Israeli settlers live in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in 1967 and sought by the Palestinians for a future independent state. Most countries and United Nations bodies consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal, a position that Israel rejects.

What happens next

Prime Minister's government, which opposes Palestinian statehood, has expanded settlement there at a rapid rate.