Israel investigating suspected settler attack on West Bank mosque

Israeli authorities are investigating after a mosque in the northern West Bank town of Marda was torched and graffitied with Hebrew slogans.

No one was injured in the incident.

Footage from the scene appeared to show burn marks and Hebrew graffiti featuring a Star of David and reading “revenge” and “burn the mosque, build the temple.” Israel’s police and Shin Bet security service have opened an investigation and have not yet made any arrests.

Palestinian leaders accused settlers of the vandalism, and Israeli media are also reporting that Jewish Israelis are suspected of perpetrating the attack.

Human rights groups have reported a spike in settler violence since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, invasion launched Israel’s multi-front war. The Biden administration has sanctioned several extremist settler leaders and groups in that time, though it indicated recently to the Times of Israel that it would not place sanctions on Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, two far-right members of the Israeli cabinet.

Over the past year-plus, Israel has engaged in a series of operations in the West Bank to fight cells of terror groups. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed, and thousands arrested, in the territory in that time. Dozens of Israelis have also been killed in terror attacks in the West Bank and Israel since the Oct. 7 attack.