Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank, setting fire to two mosques and scrawling graffiti on buildings, Palestinian officials said. The attacks occurred after a crowd of Israeli settlers made an incursion around the Palestinian village of Tal, southwest of Nablus, resulting in the deaths of four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers.

Background

The village of Qusra, southeast of Nablus, was one of the villages targeted by the settlers. Abdel Azim Wadi, head of the village council, said settlers had torched a newly completed mosque in his village and sprayed slogans in Hebrew on the walls, including ‘Jewish revenge’ and the name of one of the Israelis killed near Tal.

The Israeli military said troops sent to Qusra had found graffiti and signs of arson and were searching for suspects. The military also stated that police officers would be sent to collect evidence and that the security forces strongly condemn incidents of this kind, including harm to religious sites.

Palestinian officials also reported that settlers had tried to burn a mosque near Kour, southeast of the city of Tulkarm. Farid Jiyousi, a member of the village council, said three settlers had tried to set the mosque ablaze at dawn but worshippers had put out the fire before it reached the main area of the mosque.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.