Overview
- Palestinian officials and photographs confirm Hajja Hamida Mosque in Deir Istiya was set on fire, with burned Qurans and Hebrew graffiti reading messages like “we are not afraid” and “we will revenge again.”
- UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric called attacks on places of worship completely unacceptable and urged that those responsible be brought to account, with Jordan, Germany and Switzerland also condemning the violence.
- Israeli President Isaac Herzog and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir issued rare, forceful condemnations of settler violence and pledged decisive action to stop it.
- The Israeli military said troops responded to reports of the mosque arson but found no suspects and transferred the case to police, underscoring longstanding concerns over limited enforcement.
- UN OCHA reports at least 264 settler attacks in October, the worst month since 2006, including numerous incidents tied to the olive harvest, while a separate attack this week in Beit Lid and Deir Sharaf led to four Israelis arrested and four Palestinians injured.