Israeli forces stormed several mosques in the Old City of Nablus at dawn on Thursday, setting fire to the historic Al-Nasr Mosque and preventing dawn prayers, the Palestinian Information Centre reported.
During the raid, three Palestinians were arrested.
Eyewitnesses said the fire destroyed the imam’s quarters and caused significant damage to the mosque’s walls and carpets.
Al-Nasr Mosque, a landmark originally built as a Roman-era church before being converted into a mosque in 1187, is among Nablus’s most significant religious sites.
According to local sources, Israeli troops also raided multiple neighbourhoods, using live ammunition and tear gas while violently searching homes.
The Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs condemned the attack, accusing Israeli forces of preventing municipal firefighters from extinguishing the flames, leading to extensive destruction.
“Israeli forces raided several mosques in the Old City without warning, desecrating their interiors,” the ministry stated.
Nablus Endowments Director Nasser Al-Salman described the assault as brutal and unprecedented since the Nakba of 1948, stating that it reflected “Israel’s blatant disregard for religious, moral, and international norms that guarantee the right to worship.”
The ministry called on the international community and human rights organisations to intervene, urging an end to what it described as barbaric attacks on mosques, many of which are historical heritage sites.
