Palestinian authorities report that Israeli forces and settlers have violated 13 mosques in the West Bank this year. On Tuesday, Israeli forces fired tear gas into a mosque in Madama, near Nablus, impacting worshippers inside. Footage verified by Al Jazeera showed individuals coughing due to the tear gas, with one elderly man appearing to struggle for breath. The Palestinian Ministry of Religious Affairs stated that the tear gas was deployed as people gathered for evening prayers, leading to several elderly worshippers suffering from suffocation.
Earlier on the same day, Israeli settlers attempted to set fire to another mosque in Bazariya. Photos from the Nur al-Din Zanki Mosque displayed burn marks and Hebrew phrases on the exterior walls. A local resident, Majed Nasr, reported that a small explosion caused a fire inside the mosque, which was contained before it spread further.
The Religious Affairs Ministry condemned the incident as a criminal act. Local sources indicated that the slogans sprayed at the site included threats against Palestinians and a message directed at U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, referencing his previous comments about Israeli settlers.
The attacks in Madama and Bazariya coincide with an increase in Israeli raids on West Bank mosques following the escalation of conflict in Gaza in 2023. Data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) indicates that the average number of mosque attacks has tripled this year compared to previous years, reaching the highest annual figure since 2017.
Following the attack in Madama, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's office issued a statement warning of the escalating religious conflict and its potential consequences. The statement highlighted the systematic attacks on religious sites in the West Bank, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
In addition to the mosque incidents, reports indicate that settlers burned vehicles in Beta and Nahalin on Tuesday. The United Nations reported that at least 76 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank this year, with around 3,800 people displaced due to settler violence and demolitions. The UN also noted that settler violence has reached unprecedented levels, with over 1,430 documented attacks resulting in casualties or property damage this year.
On the same day, Israeli forces arrested at least 14 Palestinians in various locations across the West Bank, uprooted olive trees near Jenin, and issued demolition notices for homes in Idhna.