Masked rioters are seen entering a mosque in Orif, taking a Koran and ripping the pages from it before throwing it into the street in a video that circulated on Israeli and Palestinian social media on Thursday.
The same group later also burned a number of classrooms in the local school, according to Army Radio.
The incident allegedly happened during the riots by Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Orif on Wednesday. No arrests were made following this incident, Army Radio reported.
The riots broke out the day after four Israelis were killed and another four were wounded in a shooting attack by two terrorists at a gas station outside of the West Bank settlement of Eli on Tuesday afternoon.
Egyptian Awqaf minister condemns desecration of Koran
Egyptian Awqaf (Religious Endowments) Minister Dr. Mokhtar Gomaa condemned the desecration of the Koran on Thursday, writing "The settlers’ attack on one of the Urif mosques in Nablus and on copies of the Holy Koran in it is the source of terrorism, extremism and racism that undermines all opportunities for coexistence and violently undermines people's freedom to choose their faith and perform the rituals of their religion in safety and security."
"Terrorism is terrorism, even if it is covered with a thousand veils. The perpetrator of the terrorist act is a terrorist, regardless of his race, gender, or nationality. True peace can only be achieved through fairness and just peace for all, and respect for the human being and the freedom of religion."
Hamas spokesman Abd al-Latif al-Qanua called the desecration of the Koran a "dangerous escalation of the religious war waged by the fascist settler government against our people and our sanctities."
"Escalating the religious war against our sanctities and burning the Holy Koran in our mosques demands mobilizing our people and the masses of our people in the West Bank to confront the occupation, confront the settlers’ crimes, and set the ground on fire under the feet of the occupiers and herds of settlers."
Turkey's Foreign Ministry also condemned the incident, stating "We condemn the vile attack on our Holy Book, the Koran, by a group of Jewish settlers that entered a mosque in the city of Urif, located in the Palestinian territories under Israeli occupation. We expect the perpetrators of this unacceptable hate crime held accountable before justice at the earliest time."
"We emphasize once again that it is the legal obligation of Israel under international law to prevent all attacks against the Palestinian local population, their places of worship, houses and property, and hate crimes, including hate against Islam, by Jewish settlers in the occupied Palestinian territories."
Settlers rioted in Urif
On Wednesday evening, dozens of settlers were seen entering the Palestinian village of Urif, the home of the Palestinian terrorist who carried out the attack in Eli, United Hatzalah said, adding that an unspecified number of Israelis were injured by rocks thrown by the Palestinians.
תיעוד: יהודי רעול פנים, אחד המתפרעים שנכנסו אתמול לכפר עוריף בשומרון שממנו יצאו המחבלים, גונב ספר קוראן מאחד הבתים - קורע את הדפים ומשליך ברחוב. אותה קבוצה גם הציתה בית ספר בכפר, מספר כיתות נשרפו. עד לשלב זה לא נעצרו חשודים pic.twitter.com/Hzm0R3nybS
— דורון קדוש | Doron Kadosh (@Doron_Kadosh) June 22, 2023
Eight settlers were lightly injured as part of the incident, United Hatzalah added. They were seen exiting the village later on Wednesday en route to Yitzhar.
One of the two terrorists who carried out the attack near Eli was identified as Muhannad Shahada, from the village of Orif, near Nablus, in the West Bank, according to Palestinian reports cited by Army Radio.
Israeli settlers and hilltop youth set fire to cars, wheat fields and homes belonging to Palestinians across the West Bank on Wednesday, the IDF confirmed, in what is suspected to be an organized 'price tag' attack following the funeral of Nahman Shmuel, murdered in the Eli terrorist attack.
On Thursday evening, more clashes between Israeli citizens and Palestinians were reported in the village of Jalud, near the settlement of Eli in the West Bank.