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Israeli settlers torched and defaced a mosque successful a Palestinian village successful the cardinal West Bank overnight, scribbling hateful messages successful a amusement of defiance, a time aft immoderate Israeli leaders condemned a caller onslaught by settlers against Palestinians.
One partition and astatine slightest 3 copies of the Quran and immoderate of the carpeting astatine the mosque successful the Palestinian municipality of Deir Istiya had been torched erstwhile an AP newsman visited connected Thursday (November 13, 2025).
Palestinians survey harm successful an concern portion pursuing an onslaught by Israeli settlers the erstwhile time successful the West Bank colony of Beit Lid, adjacent Tulkarm, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. | Photo Credit: AP
On 1 broadside of the mosque, settlers had near graffiti messages similar “we are not afraid,” “we volition instrumentality revenge again,” and “keep connected condemning.” The Hebrew scrawl, hard to marque out, appeared to notation Maj. Gen Avi Bluth, the main of the military's Central Command, issued a uncommon denunciation of the unit connected Wednesday (November 12, 2025).
It was the latest successful a drawstring of attacks that person provoked expressions of interest from apical officials, subject leaders and the Trump administration. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not commented connected the surge successful violence.
Soldiers from Israel's military, which did not instantly respond to a petition for comment, were contiguous astatine the scene.
Speaking astatine a property league connected Wednesday (November 12, 2025), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said determination was “some interest astir events successful the West Bank spilling implicit and creating an effect that could undermine what we're doing successful Gaza.”
Young settlers person launched hundreds of attacks since the warfare successful Gaza erupted 2 years ago. The attacks person intensified successful caller weeks arsenic Palestinians harvest their olive trees successful an yearly ritual. October was the period with the highest-ever fig of recorded settler attacks successful the West Bank since the UN's humanitarian bureau began keeping way successful 2006, says the office.
On Tuesday, dozens of masked Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian villages of Beit Lid and Deir Sharaf successful the West Bank, mounting occurrence to vehicles and different spot earlier clashing with Israeli soldiers.
President Isaac Herzog described the attacks arsenic “shocking and serious,” adding a almighty dependable to what has been muted disapproval by apical Israeli officials of the settler violence. Herzog's position, portion mostly ceremonial, is meant to service arsenic a motivation compass and unifying unit for the country.
Mr. Herzog said the unit committed by a “handful” of perpetrators crosses a reddish line,” adding successful a societal media station that “all authorities authorities indispensable enactment decisively to eradicate the phenomenon.”
The Israeli army's main of staff, Eyal Zamir, echoed Mr. Herzog's condemnations of the West Bank violence, saying the subject “will not tolerate the phenomena of a number of criminals who tarnish a law-abiding public.” He said the service is committed to stopping convulsive acts committed by settlers, which helium described arsenic contrary to Israeli values and that “divert the attraction of our forces from fulfilling their mission.” In his comments connected Wednesday, Mr. Rubio commended Israel's president and the high-ranking subject officials for denouncing the Beit Lid attacks.
Palestinians and quality rights workers impeach the Israeli service and constabulary of failing to halt attacks by settlers. Israel's authorities is dominated by far-right proponents of the settler movement, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who formulates colony policy, and Cabinet curate Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees the nation's constabulary force.
