West Bank Escalation: Settlers Torch Mosque, Attack Town, and Storm Al-Aqsa

A wave of violence by extremist settlers targeted Palestinian towns and holy sites in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem on Wednesday and Thursday, in a series of escalating attacks.

In the town of Deir Istiya, northwest of Salfit, a horde of settlers set the Hajjah Hamida Mosque ablaze at dawn on Thursday. Local sources reported that the attackers poured a flammable liquid at the entrance before igniting the fire and spray-painting racist, anti-Arab slurs on the walls. Quick action by local residents prevented the fire from destroying the entire structure.
Meanwhile, north of Ramallah, the town of Sinjil came under attack by armed settlers. According to the Sinjil municipality, the settlers opened fire on members of the local guard committee, shooting a young man in the foot. The municipality described the assault as part of a growing wave of settler violence, which is backed by the Israeli occupation army and aims to impose a new fait accompli on the ground.
In Occupied Jerusalem, scores of settlers desecrated the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Wednesday under heavy police protection. The Al-Qastal news site reported that at least 154 settlers entered through the Maghariba Gate, with some performing Talmudic rituals in the eastern area after receiving lectures from rabbis.
During the provocations, the Israeli occupation police imposed tight restrictions on the entry of Muslim worshipers, preventing many from accessing the holy site.