Israeli settlers raid mosque, rip Qurans

Illegal Israeli settlers, last night, attacked Palestinian residents in Masafer Yatta district to the south of Hebron in the Occupied West Bank, reported Wafa news agency.

According to local activist, Osama Al-Makhamreh, the settlers from Havat Maon were under the protection of Israeli occupation forces as they assaulted Palestinian shepherds and civilians in the village of Khirbet Tuba, based in Masafer Yatta, resulting in grave injuries.

All of Israel’s settlements on occupied Palestinian land are illegal under international law, as are the settlers who live in them.

In a related incident, Israeli settlers were filmed vandalising a mosque with dogs and tearing up pages of a Quran after raiding the village of Urif in the Occupied West Bank province of Nablus. Footage also shows settlers setting a school in the village on fire.

READ: UN Rights chief urges Israel to end violence in West Bank immediately

Oref, Nablus

Israeli terrorist settlers attack the mosque in Oref, and begin to tear apart the Holy Quran, after vandalizing the mosque. pic.twitter.com/y0lMCuKsXo

— Younis Tirawi | يونس (@ytirawi) June 22, 2023

It comes after US Ambassador to Israel, Tom Nides, yesterday condemned the repeated Israeli raids into Palestinian towns across the Occupied West Bank in recent months and added that the US is encouraging Israel and its security agencies to take the necessary steps to stop the attacks.

Speaking at a meeting in Tel Aviv, organised by the Geneva Initiative, he said, “We do not stand and watch settler violence. I’ve been very clear and very specific that we will not stand by, and we’re pushing the Israelis to take whatever action they need to take to stop those people. At the same time, my heart breaks for the families that lost a loved one 48 hours ago. My heart breaks for all these families.”

According to The Times of Israel, 15 Israelis and 20 Palestinians from Nablus, Hebron, Jenin and villages next to Turmus Ayya, which was assaulted by settlers on Wednesday, were in attendance.

He said, “We can’t want peace more than the parties want peace. The people have got to want it. It takes the next generation. It’s this generation of people who will have to demand of the politicians to do the right thing. This room is the future. Don’t listen to those politicians. They’re not the future. You are.”

Israeli settlers have launched a series of attacks on several villages and towns in the governorates of Ramallah, Al-Bireh and Nablus, which resulted in the death of a young man, the burning of dozens of homes and vehicles and damage to Palestinian property.

READ: UN chief slams Israel settler attacks as acts of terrorism