Palestinian worshippers in the occupied West Bank returned to the Hajja Hamida mosque for weekly Friday congregational prayers following a violent Israeli settler raid and attack.
The worshippers were forced to clear insulting graffiti, broken glass, and burn marks from a mosque before they could start praying, in the latest example of assaults by Israeli settlers.
Villagers in Deir Istiya who cleaned up the mosque told Reuters that settlers had smashed windows, sprayed slogans insulting Islam's Prophet Mohammed - a move considered highly insulting in the Muslim faith- and torched the building in an assault on Wednesday night.
Footage of the mosque on Thursday showed the graffiti as well as shattered glass, charred internal walls and furniture, and a burnt Quran.
Various reports stated worshippers returned to the mosque to find flames engulfing parts of the building, while the doors were broken.
Local media reports state that residents said they believe settlers had broken into the site before dawn prayers and poured flammable liquids inside the building.
Israel's military said security forces had arrived at the mosque after hearing reports of the attack, but had not identified or arrested any suspects.
It said in a statement to Reuters that it "condemns any force of violence and will continue to operate to safeguard the security and order in the area".
"We are here for Friday prayer because it's an Islamic holy site. We want to show Netanyahu and his allies that this mosque was fixed in 24 hours, and we will put back the carpets soon," said worshipper Wadee' Salman, referring to the Israeli prime minister.
Palestine's Ministry of Religious Endowments called the attack a "heinous crime," noting that such attacks have become systematic and are aimed at intimidating Palestinians.
Settler attacks have proliferated in the West Bank, according to the United Nations, which recorded at least 264 attacks against Palestinians in October, the highest monthly total since it began tracking such incidents in 2006.
"It’s an attempt by them (the settlers) to take control of lands in the West Bank. But we remain steadfast and rooted in our land," said Raed Salman, a leader of the main Palestinian political party Fatah.
The United Nations, Palestinians, and most countries regard settlements as illegal under international law. Israel disputes this, claiming it has biblical and historical ties to the West Bank. Over half a million Israelis live in illegal settlements.
Palestinians say Israeli forces do not protect them from settler violence, often protecting settlers, failing to open investigations into attacks, or arriving late after the violations.