The arson attack on the Hajjah Hamida Mosque in Salfit has triggered a wave of international condemnation, with the United Nations, Islamic institutions, and European governments denouncing the assault as part of a broader surge in extremist violence by illegal paramilitary Israeli colonizers across the occupied West Bank.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, through his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, expressed deep alarm over the mosque’s burning and the desecration of its sacred contents.
Speaking at a press briefing Thursday evening, Dujarric conveyed Guterres’s condemnation of the attack, describing it as a violent act committed by colonizers who have illegally seized Palestinian land.
The Secretary-General stressed that such assaults on religious sites are “completely unacceptable,” and reaffirmed that places of worship must always be respected and protected.
مستوطنون يضرمون النار في مسجد “الحاجة حميدة” الواقع بين بلدتي دير استيا وكفل حارس بمحافظة سلفيت وسط الضفة الغربية، ويكتبون شعارات عنصرية على جدرانه#فيديو pic.twitter.com/zvFYQQXUci
— قناة الجزيرة (@AJArabic) November 13, 2025
He further condemned all colonizer attacks on Palestinians and their property, warning that these incidents reflect a growing pattern of violence that fuels further escalation.
Guterres emphasized that Israel, as the occupying power, bears the legal responsibility to protect Palestinian civilians and ensure accountability for those responsible.
The mosque, located between Deir Istiya and Kifl Haris in the Salfit Governorate, was set ablaze before dawn on November 13.
Flammable liquids were poured at its entrance, Qur’ans were burned, and racist slogans were spray-painted on its walls—including slurs against the Prophet Muhammad and threats of revenge.
Local residents intervened to contain the fire, but the mosque sustained damage to its interior and carpets.
It is worth mentioning that the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine condemned the attack as a grave violation of religious freedom and a dangerous incitement to religious hatred.
It warned that the international community’s silence encourages further assaults on Islamic and Christian sanctities.
The Palestinian Ministry of Religious Endowments described the incident as part of a systematic campaign to desecrate sacred sites and called on Arab and Islamic institutions to intervene.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation denounced the arson as a terrorist crime and a provocation to Muslims worldwide.
It emphasized that such attacks violate international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions and warned of a growing pattern of colonizer violence carried out under the protection of Israeli occupation forces.
The organization urged urgent international action to hold perpetrators accountable and criminalize religious desecration.
|Arson Attack on Palestinian Mosque Sparks Global Condemnation|
In Europe, the Swiss Foreign Ministry expressed deep concern over the rising violence by Israeli colonizers against Palestinians, including the burning of property and religious sites.
Switzerland called for an immediate halt to the expansion of illegal colonies and urged Israel to respect its obligations under international law and preserve the viability of a two-state solution.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, October 2025 marked the most violent month for colonizer attacks since records began, with at least 264 incidents causing casualties or property damage.
These attacks often coincide with the olive harvest season and are rarely prosecuted, reinforcing a climate of impunity.
