Israeli settlers attempted to set fire to a mosque in the occupied West Bank town of Beita, northwest of Nablus, early Tuesday, in an attack Palestinian officials condemned as part of a growing campaign against Islamic holy sites and Palestinian communities.

According to local sources, settlers targeted the Nur al-Din Zanki Mosque, first attempting to break down its doors before setting fire to a room adjacent to the mosque. The attackers also reportedly spray-painted racist and inflammatory slogans on the site.

The attempted arson caused concern among residents and worshippers in Beita, where Palestinian communities have faced repeated attacks and harassment by Israeli settlers. The incident adds to growing fears among Palestinians that places of worship are increasingly being targeted amid heightened tensions across the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Ministry of Religious Endowments and Religious Affairs strongly condemned the incident, describing the targeting of mosques and other places of worship as a dangerous and systematic escalation.

The ministry said attacks on religious sites appeared intended to provoke Palestinians and Muslims and undermine the sanctity of places of worship. It stressed that religious sites are protected under international law and called for greater international efforts to prevent further attacks.

Sheikh Nasser al-Salman, director general of the Nablus Endowments, said the attempted arson and racist graffiti demonstrated the seriousness of the incitement targeting Palestinian holy sites.

He stressed that such attacks would not prevent Palestinians from maintaining their religious practices or their connection to their land and places of worship.

“The mosque will remain vibrant with its worshippers and its faith-based message,” al-Salman said, emphasizing that attacks would not break Palestinians’ attachment to their land and holy places.

The Palestinian ministry urged international and human rights organizations to assume their responsibilities and take concrete measures to protect mosques, churches and other religious sites in the occupied Palestinian territories.

It also called for an end to repeated settler attacks against Palestinian towns and villages, warning that continued impunity could encourage further violence and attacks on civilian and religious property.

The incident in Beita comes amid broader tensions in the occupied West Bank, where Palestinians have repeatedly reported settler attacks, property destruction, intimidation and attempts to seize Palestinian land.

For Palestinians, the targeting of a mosque carries particular significance, as religious sites are not only places of worship but also important symbols of community life and their longstanding connection to the land. The attempted attack on the Nur al-Din Zanki Mosque has therefore renewed calls for international action to protect Palestinian civilians and religious sites from further settler violence. (ILKHA)