Israeli settlers set fire to and vandalized a mosque in the West Bank city of Marda, leaving behind a trail of hate-filled graffiti. The attackers, caught on security cameras, spray-painted slurs and threatening slogans on the mosque’s walls, including “Death to Arabs” and a quote from the Hebrew Bible’s book of Psalms.
The mosque’s imam and local residents were left reeling from the attack, which they described as a “systematic terror attack” carried out by settler groups. The Israeli police and security agency Shin Bet have condemned the incident, vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Meanwhile, tensions in the region continue to escalate, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launching airstrikes against Houthi militant targets in Yemen. The IDF reported that it hit fuel and oil tanks, two power plants, and eight tugboats, severely harming the military operations of the Houthi forces.
In another development, Sweden announced that it would be ending its funding for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), citing Israeli lawmakers’ ban on the agency’s operations in Gaza. The decision has been met with disappointment from UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini, who warned that it would double the suffering of Palestine refugees.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 45,000 Palestinians, with more than half of them being women and children. The war was triggered by a Hamas terror attack on Israel in October 2023, which killed 1,200 people and led to the capture of 250 hostages.
