Increased Violence Against Mosques in West Bank Sparks Outrage
Israeli forces have been accused of firing tear gas into a mosque in the West Bank during evening prayers, affecting worshippers. This incident follows an attempt by settlers to set fire to another mosque, raising concerns about escalating violence in the region.
Sources
Naim Ahmed Faraj, a 66-year-old man suffering from health issues, collapsed from tear gas inhalation during evening prayers at a mosque in Madama village, highlighting the increasing violence against worshippers in the occupied West Bank amid attacks by Israeli forces and settlers. Over 750,000 settlers live in illegal settlements across the territory, and Palestinian sources report a rise in such violence, with at least 13 mosques vandalized or burned since the start of the year. The Palestinian Ministry of Religious Affairs condemned these acts, documenting 26 incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and 155 instances of restricted calls to prayer at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.
Israeli forces fired tear gas into a mosque in the occupied West Bank, affecting worshippers gathered for evening prayers, just hours after settlers attempted to set fire to another mosque nearby, leading to widespread disruption and reports of several elderly individuals suffering from suffocation. The Palestinian Ministry of Religious Affairs noted that at least 13 mosques have been "violated" since the beginning of the year, and attacks on mosques have surged to an average of 10 per year since the onset of Israel's war on Gaza in 2023, three times the average from 2017 to 2022. Additionally, the United Nations reported that 76 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank this year, with over 3,800 displaced due to settler violence, which has reached unprecedented levels with more than 1,430 documented attacks resulting in casualties or property damage.