Israeli settlers torch mosque in occupied West Bank village of Mukhmas

Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque and sprayed graffiti on its outside walls early on Wednesday in the Palestinian village of Mikhmas, also spelled Mukhmas, in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian sources and the Israeli military said.

Atta Kanaan, who lives 50 metres from the mosque, said he heard breaking glass shortly after midnight and rushed to the building, Dawn reported, citing AFP.

“A fire was burning fiercely, and we called the fire brigade. Young men rushed to help us with fire extinguishers, and we managed to contain part of the fire before the flames engulfed the entire mosque,” he said.

Carpets burned, walls blackened

AFP footage showed the fire had burned the mosque’s carpets and blackened its walls. Slogans were spray-painted in Hebrew on the outside, including “just because we are quiet doesn’t mean we are asleep”.

Settlers also set a car on fire, Kanaan said. In recent weeks, villagers have formed night-watch patrols, fearing that settlers might set homes alight, especially those on the edge of the village.

The Israeli military said soldiers were sent to Mukhmas after reports of graffiti, arson at the mosque and damage to a vehicle. “No suspects were identified,” it said, adding that an investigation had been opened.

Rouhi Fattouh, president of the Palestinian National Council, called the attack “a barbaric act and a dangerous escalation in settler terrorism”.

Colombia opens embassy in occupied Jerusalem

On the same day, Colombia officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem, joining a small group of countries, led by the United States, that have taken the symbolic step of backing Israel’s claim to the city.

Most countries keep their embassies in Tel Aviv on the grounds that Jerusalem’s status must be settled in a final peace agreement. Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967 and annexed it in a move not recognised by most of the world. Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.

The Palestinian Authority condemned the move, saying that “opening an embassy to Israel in occupied Jerusalem constitutes a violation of international legitimacy resolutions” and undermines the international consensus on the city’s legal status.

A sharp reversal

• 2024: Colombia’s then president, Gustavo Petro, cut ties with Israel over its offensive in Gaza, halted coal exports to Israel and closed the embassy in Tel Aviv
• July 2026: new hard-right president Abelardo de la Espriella announced the move to Jerusalem
• August 2026: Colombia recognised Israel’s claim over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, which the UN considers Syrian territory under occupation

Since the US moved its embassy in 2018, only Fiji, Guatemala, Honduras, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Nauru have followed.

Why it matters

A burned mosque in Mukhmas and an embassy in occupied Jerusalem tell the same story: Palestinians losing ground, from their places of worship to their claim to their capital. The villagers who now keep watch through the night are a reminder of who pays the price. Read our reports on Gaza’s death toll passing 74,000 and on Pakistan’s call at the UN for Israel to leave occupied Syrian land.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn and AFP.