Israeli settlers set fire on Wednesday to parts of two mosques in the villages of Jiljilyya and Mazari al Nubani north of Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank, according to two local sources in the two villages.

The head of the village council in Jaljaliya, Osama Abdullah, told Agence France Presse that settlers set fire to the ablution room, damaged the village’s main mosque, and wrote hostile slogans on the external walls.

He explained that the settlers attempted to burn down the mosque, but its door was locked, so they set fire to the ablution room located on the lower floor. He noted that teams from the Palestinian Civil Defense and young men from the village and nearby villages extinguished the fire.

Grand village mosque (AFP)

Abdullah added that Israeli army forces arrived at the scene and took fingerprints.

The director of public relations and media in the Palestinian Civil Defense, Colonel Nael al Azza, told Agence France Presse that Civil Defense teams arrived in Jiljilyya after receiving a report of the fire and worked to extinguish it with the help of volunteers from the village, noting that material damage occurred to the mosque and no human injuries were recorded.

In the nearby village of Mazari al Nubani, Israeli settlers attempted to set fire to one of the three mosques in the village, according to the head of the village council, Saad Daghir.

Daghir told Agence France Presse: “Around three in the early morning, settlers threw a firebomb at the Al Farooq Omar ibn al Khattab mosque in the village, set it on fire, and wrote slogans on its walls.”

He added: “It was an attempt to burn down the entire mosque, but the fire only affected part of it,” explaining that damage occurred to the electrical wiring and part of the mosque’s front aluminum facade was destroyed, along with some wooden cabinets.

Daghir accused the Israeli army of “covering up settler violence and providing them protection while they carry out attacks.”

Mazari al Nubani falls within Area A, according to the Oslo Accords, meaning it is under Palestinian security control, and there are no Israeli settlements surrounding it.

Al Azza explained that Civil Defense teams face difficulties in responding to incidents resulting from settler violence due to Israeli checkpoints, and because their access is sometimes obstructed by settlers or the Israeli army.