Israeli settlers attempted to set fire to a mosque in the occupied West Bank village of Tell on Monday morning, the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Religious Affairs said.
– The Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs condemned the attempt by a group of settlers to set fire to a part of the Abu Bakr al-Siddiq mosque in the village of Tell, near Nablus, and the writing of racist slogans – the ministry said
The ministry noted an increase in attacks on mosques in the West Bank, a total of 45 in 2025.
– The burning of part of the mosque clearly shows the barbarism that the Israeli racist incitement machine has reached towards the Islamic and Christian holy places in Palestine – the ministry said.
At daybreak, Israeli settler militias torched the Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Mosque in the town of Tell, southwest of Nablus in the West Bank, and scrawled threatening graffiti across its walls. pic.twitter.com/ksInDeUTNV
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) February 23, 2026
An AFP reporter on the ground reported burnt carpets, smashed front doors, walls and windows blackened by the fire. However, there was no structural damage as the fire did not spread throughout the building.
Settler gangs set fire to the entrance of the Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Mosque in the village of Tel, south of Nablus, and sprayed racist graffiti on its walls. pic.twitter.com/hJ4CuSyMlK
— Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) February 23, 2026
The Israeli military said in a statement to AFP that military and police forces were sent to the Tella area “following reports and footage received subsequently regarding suspects who set fire to the mosque and wrote graffiti.”
– There were no injuries, and the forces are looking for the suspects – the publication added.
Ghassan Dagglas, the governor of the Nablus region that includes Tell, condemned the attack in a video posted on social media.
– They burned down the mosque, and we are the ones who are rebuilding it. This is our land – the land of Palestine – he said with a garden hose in hand to wash away the rubble at the scene.
Excluding East Jerusalem, which Israel has annexed, more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements and outposts in the West Bank, which is illegal under international law.
About three million Palestinians live in the territory occupied by Israel since 1967.
While most Israeli settlers do not engage in violence, a small but militant group has been linked to attacks on Palestinians.
The current Israeli government, considered one of the most right-wing in the country’s history, has accelerated settlement expansion and recognized some established strongholds.
(Vijesti.ba / FENA)
