Occupied Jerusalem, March 12 (SANA) Israeli occupation forces arrested 14 Palestinians while Israeli settlers burned a mosque in the West Bank, Palestinian media reported Thursday.
The Palestinian News Agency WAFA said that Israeli forces raided neighborhoods in Tulkarm and the nearby suburb of Shuweika, as well as areas in Hebron, including the town of Dura to the south. Raids were also carried out in Tuqu’ near Bethlehem, Azzun in Qalqilya and Marda in Salfit, where 14 Palestinians were arrested.
Settlers also set fire to a mosque in the village of Duma, south of Nablus, and wrote racist slogans on its walls. Residents managed to extinguish the fire before it spread to the rest of the mosque, with damage limited to the entrance.
The Palestinian Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) warned of a systematic rise in attempts to burn mosques in the West Bank during the current month of Ramadan, saying such acts constitute a serious violation of the sanctity of places of worship. It added that the attacks are part of attempts to undermine the security and resilience of Palestinians in the West Bank.
Israeli forces also arrested 49 Palestinians on Wednesday and wounded a young man with gunfire in the West Bank.
N.J
