Palestinians Call for International Aid After Wave of Settler Attacks in West Bank
A series of violent attacks by Jewish settlers early Sunday morning targeted Palestinian towns and villages in the West Bank, escalating tensions following a deadly Friday clash that left one Israeli officer and four Palestinians dead. The assaults included arson attacks on mosques in the town of Kusra near Nablus and Tulkarm, vandalism of the Ein Samia quarry near Ramallah, graffiti with hateful slogans, and attempts to burn homes. Concurrently, the Israeli military conducted multiple arrests across the region.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas appealed to international leaders, including the European Union, the Arab League, and the UN Security Council, urging intervention to halt Israeli settler violence and expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. He described the attacks as part of a systematic policy aimed at expanding settlements, undermining the Palestinian Authority, and obstructing a two-state solution. Abbas called for international pressure on Israel and protection for Palestinians.
The most severe incident occurred in Kusra around 2:30 a.m., when masked assailants set fire to the Al-Rahma mosque. Local residents quickly contained the blaze before Israeli forces arrived, but the fire caused significant damage to the building’s entrance and porch. The attackers left Hebrew graffiti reading "Revenge," "Israel will rise with blood," and "Mosques do not scare us." Kusra has repeatedly suffered settler attacks in recent years, some fatal, and residents report living under constant siege and fear, with the main village entrance closed since October.
Around 3:15 a.m., approximately 20 masked men attacked the Ein Samia quarry near Al-Mu'ammar village northeast of Ramallah, setting heavy machinery ablaze. Workers described the attackers as intent on destruction and killing, crediting local youth for preventing a massacre by raising an alarm. Additional incidents included an arson attempt on a home in Beit Furik east of Nablus and graffiti on walls, as well as vehicle arson in Beitillu northwest of Ramallah.
The Palestinian Waqf condemned the attacks as a deliberate, ongoing policy rather than isolated incidents and called for international intervention and heightened vigilance. Meanwhile, Israeli forces raided several locations around Tulkarm, including Akhtaba, Artah, and the towns of Bala and Qafin, detaining dozens of suspects, mostly former prisoners. In the village of Tal near Nablus, where Friday’s deadly clash occurred, the military posted unusual warning notices on homes, informing residents that online incitement is considered a terror offense punishable by arrest and imprisonment.
