The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has strongly condemned attacks by illegal Israeli settlers on towns and villages across the occupied West Bank.
In a statement on Sunday, the UAE Foreign Ministry described the latest attacks, in which two mosques were set on fire, as provocative acts against Muslims and manifestations of extremism.
The ministry also condemned the repeated attacks by illegal Israeli settlers and called on the Israeli government to assume full responsibility. It urged Israel to publicly denounce the violence and hold those responsible accountable.
It warned that failing to do so would amount to implicit approval, fuelling hatred, racism and instability.
The ministry also urged the international community to fulfil its responsibility to halt Israeli violations and prevent further escalation in the occupied Palestinian territory and the wider region.
It stressed the need to support regional and international efforts to revive the Middle East peace process, achieve a just and comprehensive peace, and end illegal practices that threaten the two-state solution.
Mosques and civilians targeted in separate attacks
Earlier on Sunday, illegal İsraeli settlers set fire to two mosques in separate attacks across the occupied West Bank, targeting one in the village of Kur, south of Tulkarem, and another under construction in the town of Qusra, south of Nablus, according to Palestinian officials.
The official Palestinian news agency Wafa said illegal settlers stormed the village of Kur and set fire to the mosque, causing partial damage to the building and its interior.
On Friday, illegal settlers backed by the Israeli army attacked the Palestinian town of Tell near Nablus, killing four Palestinians. Two Israelis were also killed in a shooting during the confrontation, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.
Israeli forces subsequently imposed a siege on Nablus and surrounding towns, carried out mass arrest raids and announced preparations for a wide-scale “military operation” across the occupied West Bank.
Since October 2023, Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 1,182 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, injured thousands and detained around 24,000, according to official Palestinian figures.
