Mohammed Rabie reported that Israeli settlers set fire to the Al-Taqwa mosque and several nearby structures in the occupied West Bank.
Mohammed Rabie, head of the village council, reported that more than two dozen Israeli settlers attacked the Al-Taqwa mosque in the village of Al-Tuwani during the night. The settlers used flammable materials to set the mosque ablaze, while also burning two houses and a dairy factory. The attackers left Hebrew graffiti on the mosque walls before fleeing as villagers emerged to help extinguish the flames. The Palestinian religious affairs ministry condemned the incident as a "full-fledged terrorist act," suggesting the attack is part of a broader Israeli policy to displace Palestinians from the Masafer Yatta region. While the Israeli police are investigating the damage, Palestinian activist Osama Makhamra noted that the attack occurred in full view of a nearby Israeli military watchtower. The incident highlights a period of unprecedented settler violence in the occupied West Bank. Since the start of the Gaza war in 2023, settler activity has intensified, resulting in frequent casualties and property damage for the millions of Palestinians living alongside Israeli settlements.