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by IMEMC News
March 7, 2025

At dawn on Friday, Israeli occupation soldiers abducted three Palestinians, invaded and ransacked several mosques, and set one ablaze in the Old City of Nablus in the northern part of the occupied West Bank.

Media sources reported that several armored Israeli military vehicles invaded multiple neighborhoods in Nablus and its Old City, firing barrages of live rounds, gas bombs, and concussion grenades.

They added that the soldiers stormed and ransacked many homes before abducting three Palestinians: Majd Mohyeldin Sobeh from his home on Ksheika Street, Ataya Mohammad Tabouq, and Omar Jihad Al-Qoqa from their homes in the Old City.

The soldiers also stormed and desecrated several mosques in the Old City, including the Al-Yasmina neighborhood mosque, Aj’aj Mosque on Al-Basha Street, the Salahi Al-Kabeer Mosque in the Eastern Market area, At-Teena Mosque in the Al-Qaryoun neighborhood, An-Nasr Mosque in Bab as-Saha area, and Al-Beik Mosque on An-Nasr Street.

During the invasions, the soldiers set ablaze several sections of the An-Nasr Mosque in Nablus after desecrating the holy site at dawn.

During an inspection of the mosque and an assessment of the damage, Sheikh Nasser Salman, Director-General of Endowments in Nablus, accompanied by Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghlas, Nablus Mayor Hosam Shakhshir, and Director of the Medical Relief Society Ghassan Hamdan, condemned the Israeli occupation’s brutal assault on the mosques of Nablus.

He highlighted the particularly egregious events at the historic An-Nasr Mosque, describing it as a testament to the insanity of the occupation, which is relentlessly violating Islamic holy sites and mosques at an increasing pace.

Sheikh Salman added that such practices have been unprecedented since the Nakba, and their escalation signifies the occupation’s blatant disregard for all religious and moral values, as well as international norms and human rights principles declared by international institutions, especially those that affirm the right to worship and access to places of worship as fundamental human rights.

The Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs condemned the invasions and vandalism of mosques in the Old City, calling it a dangerous precedent given its scale and timing during the holy month of Ramadan.

“The sanctity of Ramadan has been desecrated by these incursions into mosques before dawn prayers, preventing the faithful from performing their prayers,” the Ministry stated.

The Ministry added that this invasion is a systematic step by the occupation, with clear intentions to desecrate holy sites and places of worship, flagrantly violating human rights, particularly the freedom of worship and access to religious sites.

“This act shows utter disregard for the sentiments of Muslims witnessing the desecration of their sacred places before the eyes of the world,” the Ministry added.

The Ministry of Endowments called on the international community and human rights organizations to take action to stop these violations and bring them to an end.

“The mosques desecrated this morning are not only places of worship, but also historical and heritage buildings affected by the occupation’s brutality,” the Ministry added.

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