Israelis in West Bank set fire to mosque, graffiti 'revenge' on building - report
The words "the righteous will rejoice because he takes vengeance," from the Torah, was sprayed on the building.
The Bir al-Walidain Mosque in the West Bank town of Marda, near Ariel, was reportedly set on fire and graffitied by a group of Israelis.
The words “the righteous will rejoice because he sees revenge,” a quote from the Book of Psalms, were reportedly sprayed on the building. Video also showed “Death to Arabs” and other slogans had been spray-painted in Hebrew on the building’s facade.
The incident occurred early on Friday morning, according to local Palestinian media sources.
The Israel Police and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) subsequently launched a joint investigation into the incident, the agencies stated. In a joint statement, they said they were collecting evidence from the scene of the incident.
גורמי ביטחון: מסגד בכפר מרדה בשומרון הוצת הלילה בידי יהודים. במקום רוסס הפסוק "ישמח צדיק כי חזה נקם". אין נפגעים ואין עצורים@carmeldangor @nurityohanan pic.twitter.com/DPsPWehXvi
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) December 20, 2024
“We view the incident seriously and will act decisively to bring those responsible to justice,” the statement added.
Condemnation
According to Palestinian media, local residents were able to control the fire before it spread throughout the mosque.
Sheikh Othman al-Din, the director of Awqaf in Salfit, condemned the arson attack, describing it as a criminal act targeting a sacred place of worship.
Nasfat al-Khufash, head of the Marda village council, said: “On Friday, Marda awoke to a systematic terror attack by a group of settlers who set fire to Bir al-Walidain Mosque.” He added, “These attacks by settler groups are continuous and systematic.”
The Palestinian Authority foreign ministry assailed the attack as the latest in a series of violations and crimes by Israeli settlers and appealed to the United Nations Security Council for help protecting Palestinians.
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