Mosque in West Bank Village Damaged in Overnight Arson Attack

Mosque in West Bank Village Damaged in Overnight Arson Attack
————————————————
A mosque in the village of Jiljilya, north of Ramallah, was damaged in an overnight arson attack, Yahoo reported citing local residents and Palestinian officials said.

Residents reported hearing explosions shortly after 2 a.m. before seeing smoke rising from the mosque. Local imam Mohammad Khasib said 15 to 20 tyres were set on fire inside the ablution area, causing extensive damage to the building.

Hebrew graffiti, including the word “revenge” and references to detainees, was sprayed on the mosque’s exterior walls.

The mosque is located in Area A of the occupied West Bank, which is administered by the Palestinian Authority and is generally off-limits to Israeli civilians.

The incident was one of two reported attacks on mosques overnight in villages north of Ramallah. Palestinian officials said dozens of mosques and churches across the occupied West Bank have been vandalised or damaged since the start of 2026, amid a wider rise in violence linked to Israeli settlers.

Inside the mosque in Jiljilya, walls and doors were blackened by soot, while intense heat cracked and damaged floor tiles. Residents returned to the site on Wednesday morning to clear debris and clean the damaged areas.

At the time of reporting, Israeli police and military authorities had not publicly commented on the incident.

Palestinian leaders condemned the attack and called for stronger protection of religious sites, as well as accountability for those responsible.