Friday, June 20, 2025

Today, Zionist settlers stormed Beit al-Sheikh Mosque in Khirbet Tana, located in the town of Beit Furik, east of Nablus in the northern West Bank, and burned copies of the Quran inside. This is the latest in a series of repeated attacks targeting the mosque and the surrounding area, under the pretext of protection of the Israeli enemy army.

Beit al-Sheikh Mosque is one of the oldest landmarks in Khirbet Tana. According to elders, its construction dates back hundreds of years. It was constructed of stone and mud, and residents have performed their daily prayers there for decades.

This crime is part of a series of repeated attacks on the village and its mosque by settlers, as part of an Israeli plan aimed at completely displacing the population and controlling the strategic location of the village, located on the western slopes of the Jordan Valley.

Thaer Hanani, the coordinator of the Tana Defense Campaign, confirmed in press statements last March that the mosque is "a symbol of the residents' steadfastness and their continued presence on their land." He noted that it had previously been restored to serve as a spiritual and educational center. At one point, it served as an alternative school for children after the occupation destroyed their only school, cutting off their electricity and other infrastructure services.

He added that "the repeated attacks, including the burning of tents and caves and the death threats against residents, represent a systematic policy to empty the village of its original inhabitants." However, he emphasized that "the people of Tana still refuse to leave their land despite all displacement attempts."