UN criticises Israeli settler attacks in West Bank after mosque arson and six deaths
The UN criticised Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank and accused Israel of legitimising settler outposts, after mosque arson and clashes killed four Palestinians and two soldiers.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The United Nations has criticised Israeli settlers over fatal attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and accused the Israeli government of legitimising settler outposts. The criticism came after three days of violence in which at least four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers died.
Security cameras captured the moment three people approached the entrance of a mosque in the village of Kour shortly before 3am. Moments later there was a large explosion and they fled. Residents put out the fire and still held morning prayers despite the damage. They said the attack was the work of Israeli settlers.
A separate attack on the same day targeted a newly built mosque in Kuzra. According to Ahmed, the mosque was torched. He said residents put out the fire and the military arrived, saw the damage with their own eyes and then left. Hebrew graffiti at the scene spoke of revenge after the deaths of two Israeli soldiers, who were killed along with four Palestinians during a clash on Friday. A crowd of Israeli settlers had approached another Palestinian village near Nablus.
The mosques in Kuzra and Kour are in the north of the occupied West Bank, but the violence has not been confined to one area. According to the United Nations, 77 Palestinians have been killed across the West Bank by Israeli soldiers or settlers since January. Three Israelis have been killed by Palestinians this year, including the two soldiers on Friday.
The Israeli military is responsible for maintaining security in the area. Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, and settler violence against Palestinians has gone almost entirely unchecked. The deaths of the soldiers prompted immediate action, with demolitions in Jenin and checkpoints closed around Palestinian villages and towns.
There were reports that two women had to give birth in their cars because they could not reach hospital. One woman lost her baby after being held at the Awarta checkpoint for more than 30 minutes. The Israeli military says it is acting to maintain public order and condemns any attack like this. But attacks keep coming.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Reported by all 2 channels | ||
| At least four Palestinians and two Israelis, including two soldiers, died in recent violence that preceded the mosque fires by two days. | Reported by BBC News | |
| Only on one channel | ||
| The UN criticised Israeli settlers over fatal attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank in recent days and criticised the Israeli government for legitimising settler outposts in the occupied territory. | Not reported by BBC News | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1 led on the UN criticism of Israeli settlers and the Israeli government, then built the report around mosque arson attacks in Kour and Kuzra. Its tone was sympathetic to Palestinians, stressing exhaustion, routine violence and the lack of protection, while noting Israeli military action and its public-order justification. It also widened the frame to casualty figures and checkpoint restrictions.
- “The United Nations didn't just call out Israeli settlers today for fatal attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank in the past three days. It criticised the Israeli government for legitimising settler outposts in the occupied territory.”
- “Since January, 77 Palestinians have been killed across the West Bank by Israeli soldiers or settlers, according to the UN.”
- “They torch the mosque, says Ahmed. We put it out and the military arrived here, saw with their own eyes and then left.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.