Palestine’s Supreme Fatwa Council issued a strong condemnation on Thursday regarding the escalating systematic attacks by illegal Israeli settlers against mosques and holy sites. The council’s statement followed recent incidents in which two mosques were set on fire in Nablus and Tulkarm, with reports noting that racist slogans were scrawled on the walls of the damaged buildings.
Describing the arson as a systematic crime targeting Islamic holy sites, the council argued that such violence is an extension of broader Israeli policies of repression and violations of religious rituals across Palestinian territories. According to the council, these attacks are part of a dangerous agenda aimed at undermining the Palestinian presence and their religious rights. They further accused the Israeli military and police of providing full protection to illegal settlers, who they claim are spreading corruption and provoking the sentiments of Muslims.
The council also addressed the worsening situation at Al-Aqsa Mosque, denouncing increased incursions and strict measures imposed by Israeli authorities at the gates and around the Old City of occupied Jerusalem. They reported that Israeli forces have been deployed heavily in the courtyards to prevent worshippers from entering, while simultaneously allowing illegal settlers to perform Talmudic rituals inside the complex. These actions were characterized by the council as a dangerous assault on the established historical and legal status quo, aimed at enforcing a temporal and spatial division of the site.
Specific details regarding the recent arson attacks indicate that two separate incidents occurred on Sunday. In the village of Kur, south of Tulkarm, settlers set fire to a local mosque, resulting in partial damage to the interior. A second mosque, currently under construction in the town of Qusra south of Nablus, was also targeted. These events follow a violent confrontation on Friday in the town of Tell near Nablus, where illegal settlers, supported by the army, attacked the area, resulting in the deaths of four Palestinians. Two Israelis were also killed during that exchange. According to official Palestinian figures, the violence in the occupied West Bank since October 2023 has led to the deaths of at least 1,182 Palestinians, thousands of injuries, and approximately 24,000 detentions.
