West Bank Mosque Reopens After Suspected Settler Attack

In a show of resilience, Palestinians in the West Bank village of Deir Istiya gathered for Friday prayers after cleaning up their mosque. The mosque had been vandalized, with broken glass, offensive graffiti, and burn marks left behind. Villagers believe Jewish settlers were responsible for the damage, which included a burnt Koran. The attack happened on Wednesday night. By Thursday, the mosque was in shambles. Despite this, the community worked quickly to clean and repair the damage. They wanted to hold their regular Friday prayers there. Israel's military said they responded to reports of the attack. However, they have not identified or arrested any suspects. In a statement, they condemned the violence and promised to maintain security in the area. Settler attacks in the West Bank have been increasing. The United Nations recorded 264 attacks in October alone. This is the highest monthly total since they started tracking such incidents in 2006. The West Bank is home to 2. 7 million Palestinians. It is a key part of their hopes for a future independent state. However, Israeli settlements have been expanding, making this more difficult. Over half a million Israelis now live in these settlements. Palestinians argue that Israeli forces do not do enough to protect them from settler violence. The Israeli military says they do send soldiers to deal with any trouble. During Friday prayers, worshippers made a point to show their strength. They wanted to send a message to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his allies. They fixed the mosque in just 24 hours and plan to replace the carpets soon.