Israeli occupiers torch prayer room, car near occupied Jerusalem

A member of Mukhmas’ municipal council, Mohammed Kanaan, said Israeli occupiers attacked the town of Mukhmas — northeast of occupied Jerusalem — at approximately 2 a.m. local time on Wednesday, setting fire to a prayer room and a vehicle. The assailants also scrawled racist slogans at the site before fleeing, he told Anadolu. Local residents promptly notified relevant authorities and requested the intervention of firefighting crews to extinguish the blaze, Kanaan added, noting that the attack caused substantial damage though no casualties were reported.

Olive harvest violence

The incident comes amid heightened violence by Israeli occupiers against Palestinians and their property across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with attacks intensifying during the olive harvest season as farmers face increased targeting while accessing their land. On Monday, the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission reported documenting 136 attacks by the Israeli army and occupiers connected to the olive harvest since the beginning of October.

The commission recorded incidents including beatings, expulsions, intimidation, gunfire, tear gas, arrests, theft of olives and harvesting equipment, and damage to trees. These documented incidents have caused significant harm to Palestinian farmers while severely restricting their access to agricultural land, the commission stated.

Escalating raids

Israeli army raids and attacks by occupiers against Palestinians and their property have intensified across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023. Palestinian officials continue to report daily incursions and property damage across multiple West Bank towns and villages amid the ongoing military operations.