A mosque in the northern West Bank town was torched and vandalized on Thursday night, with Palestinian and Israeli sources saying that Jewish extremist settlers were behind the incident.

On Friday morning, Palestinian media first reported that the mosque in the Palestinian town of Marda was set on fire overnight, allegedly by Israeli settlers.

Apparent footage from the scene showed Hebrew graffiti spray-painted on the walls of the mosque reading “Revenge,” and quoting a Psalms verse: “The righteous man will rejoice when he sees revenge.”

Additional footage published by Palestinian media showed a burnt door and room at the mosque, alongside graffiti declaring: “The mosque shall burn, the [Jewish] Temple shall be built.”

CCTV footage from the mosque purported to show a suspect spray-painting the graffiti.

According to Palestinian officials, the attack targeted the Bir al-Walidain mosque in Marda. Residents of the village confirmed the details, with one telling AFP: “They set fire to the entrance of the mosque and wrote Hebrew slogans on its walls.”

Another resident said the fire was extinguished before it could engulf the entire structure.

Police and the Shin Bet said in a joint statement on Friday that they launched an investigation into the incident, and that officers are gathering evidence and findings from the scene, as well as speaking to locals about the details.

“We view the incident with severity and will work with determination to bring those responsible to justice,” it added.

An unnamed Israeli security source cited by Army Radio said the arson and vandalism of the mosque were committed by Jews.

The source was quoted as saying there were no casualties in the incident, and there have not yet been any arrests.

The Palestinian foreign ministry in Ramallah condemned the incident, calling it a “blatant act of racism” and a reflection of the ” widespread incitement campaigns against our people carried out by elements of the extremist right-wing ruling government” of Israel.

Settler violence has spiked since the October 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught in the south. Israeli authorities rarely arrest Jewish perpetrators in such attacks. Some rights groups lament that convictions are even more unusual and that the vast majority of charges in these types of attacks are dropped.

While Israeli leaders have denounced settler violence, the failure of authorities to clamp down on the phenomenon has led the US and other Western countries to begin issuing sanctions against extremist settler individuals and entities earlier this year.