Israeli Settlers Accused of Arson on Mosque and Factory in Palestine

WHO:

Yahoo - Mohammed Rabie, head of the village council in Al-Tuwani

Yahoo - Osama Makhamra, Palestinian activist

Yahoo - Palestinian religious affairs ministry

Yahoo - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

WHAT:

Yahoo - Israeli settlers set fire to the Al-Taqwa mosque, two houses, and a dairy factory in Al-Tuwani.

Yahoo - More than two dozen settlers, some masked, were involved in the attack.

Yahoo - The mosque's entrance was scorched, and Hebrew graffiti was sprayed on its walls.

Yahoo - Local volunteers managed to extinguish the flames before they spread further.

Yahoo - The dairy factory, run by women from the Masafer Yatta community, suffered extensive damage.

Yahoo - The Israeli police reported damage to a vehicle, a prayer structure, and graffiti on walls.

WHERE:

Yahoo - The incident occurred in the village of Al-Tuwani, located in the occupied West Bank.

Yahoo - An Israeli military watchtower is located close to the mosque that was set ablaze.

WHY:

Yahoo - The Palestinian religious affairs ministry condemned the attack as "a full-fledged terrorist act" and accused Israel's government of encouraging settler violence.

Yahoo - The attack is part of increased violence against Palestinian communities by settlers since the start of the Gaza war in 2023.

HOW:

Yahoo - The settlers attacked the mosque and other properties during the night and fled when villagers emerged from their homes.

Yahoo - The Israeli police deployed officers to the village after receiving reports of the damage.

(UPDATED July 19, 2026 19:19 UTC)

In a troubling incident in the village of Al-Tuwani, Israeli settlers set fire to the Al-Taqwa mosque, two houses, and a dairy factory, with more than two dozen masked individuals reportedly involved in the attack. Local volunteers managed to extinguish the flames before they spread further, but the mosque's entrance was scorched and Hebrew graffiti was found on its walls, while the dairy factory, run by women from the Masafer Yatta community, suffered extensive damage. The Palestinian religious affairs ministry condemned the attack as "a full-fledged terrorist act," highlighting a disturbing trend of increased violence against Palestinian communities by settlers since the onset of the Gaza war in 2023.