Mosque torched in Nablus area, graffiti sprayed against US Ambassador: "Regards from the terrorists"
According to the Palestinians, the arson occurred in the village of Bazariya. Graffiti was sprayed on the building's walls against the US Ambassador to Israel and threats were made toward a "Kan" reporter and the security establishment: "You have been warned." Simultaneously, police arrested 8 suspects aged 16-20 for arson and assault in the southern Hebron Hills.
The security situation remains volatile. Against the backdrop of efforts by the security establishment to curb riots by radicals in Judea and Samaria, Palestinian sources reported on Tuesday morning that a group of extremists set fire to a mosque in the village of Bazariya in the Nablus area. Graffiti was sprayed on the building's walls, including the phrases "Evictions - chaos" and "You have been warned." The suspects managed to flee the scene.
Another inscription on the building read: "Huckabee - regards from the terrorists," a clear allusion to the sharp condemnation by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee of the siege recently imposed by settlers on homes of Palestinian families in the nearby village of Qusra. Huckabee had labeled those actions a "disgusting act of terror" and "Israeli terrorism." A further inscription was directed at "Kan" reporter Roi Sharon: "Roi Sharon, watch your car."
Meanwhile, as part of an investigation conducted by the inter-agency headquarters of the Judea and Samaria District following several serious arson and assault incidents in the southern Hebron sector, eight suspects aged 16 to 20 were arrested overnight. According to police, the suspects, who reside in Judea and Samaria and the center of the country, were transferred for questioning ahead of a court hearing to extend their detention.
"The Israel Police condemns and views with severity cases of violence and damage that harm the security of the state and the entire settlement enterprise, and will continue to act with determination to locate and arrest those involved in these incidents," the police stated.
The police and the Shin Bet continue to investigate the riots in Qusra last weekend, during which dozens of Jews entered the village, barricaded themselves in a Palestinian home, and attacked foreign journalists. The identities of some suspects are known to security agencies, and further arrests are expected shortly. During the event, security forces confiscated three vehicles allegedly used by the rioters.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement condemning the acts:
"I strongly condemn the criminal acts of violence committed in the villages of Qusra and Jalud by a handful of rioters who break the law, cause immense injustice to the law-abiding settler public, interfere with the IDF in the performance of its duties, and harm Israel's standing in the world."
