Israeli settlers torch West Bank mosque and homes amid surge of attacks

During the night of 18‑19 July 2026, Israeli settlers carried out coordinated attacks across the occupied West Bank. In the village of al‑Tuwani (Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron) they set fire to the Al‑Taqwa mosque, two homes and a dairy factory, using accelerants and spray‑painting Hebrew graffiti. The same night they invaded homes in Wadi al‑Rakhim near Yatta, seizing three heads of livestock and firing live rounds; a child, Yassin Mohammad Shanaran, suffered shock and convulsions and was taken for treatment. In as‑Samu they attempted to steal sheep, but residents repelled them. Similar assaults were reported in Beita, Nablus, and other villages, resulting in injuries to four civilians and the destruction of olive trees and property.

Palestinian officials described the mosque arson as “a fully‑fledged terrorist act” and condemned it as a dangerous escalation. Village council head Mohammed Rabie thanked God that no lives were lost, saying, “We thank God that this attack did not turn into a tragedy with loss of life.” The Israeli army, police and fire services arrived about half an hour later, noting the incident occurred in full view of a military watchtower.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that settler violence in the West Bank had reached “unprecedented” levels, averaging six attacks per day in the first half of 2026, with a total of 11,074 incidents recorded nationwide. The wave of assaults follows the broader escalation of the Gaza conflict that began in 2023.