An Israeli settler group allegedly attempted to set fire to a mosque in the northern occupied West Bank early Tuesday, according to Palestinian officials and local residents.
The incident took place at the Nur al-Din Zanki Mosque in Bazzaryah, near Nablus. Palestinian authorities described the incident as the latest in a series of attacks targeting religious sites in the occupied territory.
The Palestinian Ministry of Religious Affairs said a group of settlers attempted to burn parts of the mosque in what it described as a criminal attack.
Fire Breaks Out Inside Mosque Building
Local resident Majed Nasr said the attack occurred at around 2:45am.
According to Nasr, several settlers suddenly attacked the mosque before a small explosion caused a fire inside part of the building.
He said the attackers fled the area after the fire started.
Residents managed to contain the blaze before it spread to the main upper section of the mosque, preventing further damage to the building.
Images and video from the scene showed blackened burn marks around a window of a room belonging to the mosque.
Threatening messages written in Hebrew were also visible on the exterior walls of the building.
The Israeli military had not immediately issued a response to requests for comment regarding the reported attack.
Palestinian Officials Warn of Rising Religious Tensions
The Palestinian Ministry of Religious Affairs said 13 mosques had been “violated” by Israeli military forces or settlers since the beginning of 2026.
The latest incident has intensified concerns among Palestinian officials about attacks on religious sites and the broader escalation of tensions in the occupied West Bank.
On Tuesday, the Palestinian presidency warned about what it described as an escalating religious conflict involving attacks on religious sites, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem.
The Palestinian presidency said continued attacks against religious sites risked creating a wider religious conflict with serious consequences for the region and beyond.
Settler Violence Continues Across Occupied West Bank
The West Bank has remained a major flashpoint amid continuing Israeli-Palestinian tensions.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements across the territory alongside an estimated three million Palestinians.
The settlements are considered illegal under international law, while Israel disputes that legal characterization.
Palestinian officials and rights groups have repeatedly raised concerns over settler attacks against Palestinian communities, homes, agricultural land and religious sites.
The latest reported mosque attack comes amid what Palestinian authorities describe as a recent increase in settler violence.
On the same day, Israeli police announced the arrest of eight people aged between 16 and 20. They were suspected of involvement in alleged arson attacks and assaults in the southern Hebron area of the West Bank.
The reported mosque attack and the arrests have further highlighted the continuing security and political tensions across the occupied territory.
