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Fattouh calls for international action after settlers burn mosque and two homes in West Bank

Palestinian National Council President Rawhi Fattouh said that the burning of two homes and a mosque by settlers in the Masafer Yatta area embodies 'the merging of settler terrorism with the Israeli military establishment'...

Hosni Nedim

19 July 2026 • Updated: 19 July 2026

RAMALLAH

RAMALLAH / Hosni Nedim / Anadolu

Palestinian National Council President Rawhi Fattouh on Sunday called on the international community to take urgent action to stop Israeli settler attacks in the occupied West Bank, after a mosque and two homes were set on fire in the Masafer Yatta area south of Hebron.

Fattouh said in a statement that the burning of two homes and a mosque in the village of Al-Tuwani, and the vandalism of Palestinian property 'under the protection of the Israeli army,' embodies 'the merging of settler terrorism with the Israeli military establishment in carrying out systematic attacks targeting the Palestinian presence and holy sites.'

He added that the targeting of houses of worship and homes 'is not random violence, but a policy aimed at imposing a coercive environment that forces citizens to leave.'

He considered that this constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law and international conventions that guarantee the protection of civilians and civilian and religious property.

Fattouh called on the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities and take binding measures to stop settler attacks and hold Israel accountable.

He warned that continued silence and impunity will lead to an escalation of violations against Palestinian civilians.

On Sunday, the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs said in a statement that groups of settlers last night set fire to the mosque in the village of Al-Tuwani, located in Masafer Yatta south of Hebron, causing extensive damage to the mosque building and its contents.

It quoted local sources as saying that settlers stormed the village and attacked the mosque using flammable materials to set it on fire, with flames spreading over large parts of it before residents and civil defense teams rushed to extinguish the fire amid confrontations with occupation forces who provided cover for the attackers.

It condemned the burning of the mosque, calling it a 'full-fledged terrorist act' that falls within a policy aimed at displacing Palestinians in Masafer Yatta.

It also held the Israeli government fully responsible for this heinous crime and its serious consequences, stressing that international silence on settlement crimes fuels and encourages these attacks.

The West Bank has seen a surge in attacks by the Israeli army and settlers since October 2023, which, according to official Palestinian data, have resulted in the deaths of 1,181 Palestinians, injuries to about 13,000, and the arrest of nearly 24,000 Palestinians.