West Bank mosques set on fire during weekend of settler violence

Key Points:

• Two mosques in the Israeli-occupied West Bank villages of Qusra and Kour were set on fire overnight in an apparent attack by Israeli settlers, amid escalating violence that recently killed four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers.
• Israeli authorities condemned the mosque attacks and launched investigations, while arresting over 70 Palestinians and sealing homes of suspected militants; however, critics say the government often fails to prosecute settlers involved in violence.
• The violence follows a deadly confrontation in the village of Tell, where a Palestinian reportedly seized a settler’s weapon and killed an Israeli security guard, fueling tensions between settlers and Palestinian residents.
• Regional and international leaders, including the Arab League, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Pope Leo XIV, called for restraint, peace efforts, and pressure on Israel to halt settler violence and pursue a political solution.
• Separately, Israel’s security cabinet approved granting legal immunity to an international stabilization force expected to deploy in Gaza, aiming to support reconstruction and security amid ongoing tensions following the 2023 Hamas-Israel conflict.