A mosque was set ablaze overnight Wednesday in the West Bank village of Jaljulia, west of Ramallah, in what Israeli authorities described as an attack by Jewish rioters. Graffiti sprayed on one of the walls read, "Revenge, society wake up, greetings to the detainees," and another line said, "Night of the Mosques." No suspects were detained at the scene.
The IDF said forces arrived, searched for suspects in the area, and found the burned mosque along with wall graffiti. According to the army, the suspects fled before troops reached the site. It added that police from the Shai District, under IDF protection, would enter the area to collect testimony, findings and evidence for the investigation.
This was the third mosque arson in the past week, following attacks in Burqa and in nearby Deir Dibwan. Earlier this week, six suspects, five of them minors, were arrested on suspicion of setting fire to vehicles and private property in Deir Dibwan.
Police also recently arrested six people on suspicion of rioting in the Palestinian town of Hawara earlier this month. The main suspects in that case, Yakir Ashbel and Uria Cohen, owners of a farm in the Samaria area, led a group into the town after claiming sheep had been stolen from them. During the attack, Palestinians were assaulted and one was injured by gunfire. Ashbel, suspected of shooting a Palestinian, had his detention extended by four days, while Cohen was released to house arrest and police appealed that decision.
