Nablus, MINA – Israeli occupation soldiers on Friday stormed several mosques in the northern occupied West Bank city of Nablus and set fire to the historic Al-Nasr Mosque in the Old City, Anadolu Agency reported.
According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, Israeli military forces stormed several mosques, damaging their interiors.
The news agency reported that Israeli forces deliberately set fire to the Al-Nasr Mosque and prevented firefighters from extinguishing the blaze.
Eyewitnesses told Anadolu Agency that the fire destroyed the entire residence of the imam, damaging the walls and carpets of the mosque.
Also Read: Gaza Health System in Collapse as Crisis Deepens, Says Al-Shifa Director
The Al-Nasr Mosque is one of the most important historical buildings in Nablus, originally built as a Roman-era church before being converted into a mosque in 1187.
The Palestinian Ministry of Religious Affairs condemned the Israeli attacks on the Old City mosques and the deliberate burning of the Al-Nasr Mosque.
In a statement, the ministry said, “Israeli forces stormed the Al-Nasr Mosque in Bab al-Saha in the Old City at dawn today, set it on fire, and prevented the Nablus municipal firefighters from extinguishing the fire, which caused major damage.”
“Israeli forces stormed several mosques in the Old City without warning, desecrating their interiors,” it added.
Also Read: 20 Palestinians Killed in Latest Israeli Airstrikes on Gaza
Nablus Endowment Director Nasser Al-Salman also condemned the “brutal Israeli attacks” on Nablus mosques.
“Such actions are unprecedented since the Nakba of 1948, and they reflect Israel’s blatant disregard for religious, moral and international norms that guarantee the right to worship and access to holy sites,” he said, according to the statement.
Salman urged human rights and legal organizations to take immediate action to prevent Israel from continuing its violations of religious and historical sites. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
Also Read: UN Warns of Rising Hunger in Gaza Amid Israeli Blockade
Mina Indonesia
Mina Arabic
Mina Sport