The Islamic Jihad on Wednesday vowed to respond "at any moment" to an arson attack against a mosque in the West Bank earlier in the day that Palestinians blamed on settlers.
The organization said in the aftermath of the mosque torching in the village of Al-Maghir, east of Ramallah, that "the terrorism of the settlers and the occupation army will be met with a Palestinian will that doesn't accept submission and surrender. "
The statement added that "those who encourage and allow attacks on mosques and against Palestinians should expect a response."
Residents of the village of Al-Maghir reported that a mosque was set on fire early Wednesday, around 3:30 a.m.
The residents said the lower floor of the mosque was damaged. They said they also discovered anti-Arab graffiti on the walls of the mosque, which lies in the western part of the village.
The villagers claimed that "settlers" were behind the arson. A Palestinian Authority security official in the West Bank also blamed "extremist settlers" for the arson.
An investigation into the circumstances of the incident has already begun.
Likud MK Miri Regev condemned the arson attack, saying, "No to price tag - it is forbidden to take the law in to your own hands."
She implored the leadership in Judea and Samaria to "get the message across to the extremist Jewish minority that is trying to inflame the situation."
Separately, police said, unknown assailants threw a petrol bomb overnight at an ancient synagogue in Shfaram, a predominantly Muslim and Christian Arab town in northern Israel. There was small-scale damage and police were investigating.
