Early on Sunday, Israeli settlers launched attacks on Palestinian villages in the West Bank, targeting two mosques. According to Palestinian officials, the settlers scrawled graffiti on several buildings. This incident followed a confrontation on Friday in which four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers died. One of the soldiers served as a security coordinator for a nearby Israeli settlement. The clash happened when Israeli settlers, some armed, approached the Palestinian village of Tal near Nablus.

The situation escalated as villagers confronted the settlers, leading to a standoff. A video showed a Palestinian allegedly seizing a settler’s weapon. Local Palestinian authorities claim the settlers incited the violence. Meanwhile, the Israeli military reported gunfire from both sides. Children were seen outside a mosque in Qusra, a village in the West Bank, which reportedly suffered damage from an attack by settlers.

This attack adds to a series of confrontations throughout the year, resulting in dozens of Palestinian deaths and hundreds of injuries. These numbers are corroborated by data from the U.N. and the Palestinian Authority. Facing an election in October, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a security operation against what he termed as terrorist acts against Israeli civilians. The government strengthened its presence in the West Bank and canceled military leave.

Some government members, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have advocated for annexing the West Bank, a territory taken by Israel in the 1967 Middle East conflict. Palestinian officials noted that settlers attacked multiple villages across the West Bank early Sunday.

Abdel Azim Wadi, head of Qusra’s village council, reported that settlers set fire to a newly completed mosque, which was ready to welcome worshippers. “The mosque was in its final stage and was fully furnished,” he said. Graffiti including “Jewish revenge” and the name of one of the Israelis killed in Tal were found on the walls.

The Palestinian Authority labeled the assault as part of widespread aggression against Palestinians. “Israeli state-backed settler terrorism is escalating into systematic pogroms across the occupied West Bank,” the prime minister’s office stated on social media platform X.

The Israeli military discovered graffiti and arson signs in Qusra and is searching for those responsible. They stated that attacks on religious sites are strongly condemned and pledged to maintain security and order.

An Israeli military official noted that Israeli violence distracts from the military’s main objectives: defense and counter-terrorism. Yet, troops arrested more than 130 people over the weekend, including weapons traffickers and individuals linked to Hamas.

Additional attacks occurred near Kour and Kafr Malik, with settlers attempting to set another mosque ablaze and assaulting workers at a stone-cutting facility. Witnesses in Kour reported that a fire was extinguished before it reached the mosque’s main area, marking the first such attack in their village.

The Israeli forces continued their security operations, arresting approximately 60 Palestinians from Saturday night, as reported by the Palestinian Prisoners Club, an organization monitoring Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

Internationally, Israeli settlements in the West Bank are widely deemed illegal by most countries and U.N. bodies, a stance disputed by Israel. Palestinians aim to establish an independent state with the West Bank as a core component. Israel cites historical and biblical connections to the area. Netanyahu’s administration, opposing Palestinian statehood, has accelerated settlement expansion.

Pope Leo expressed grave concern regarding the heightened violence, urging negotiations for “a just political solution” and advocating for the respect of holy sites across all faiths.