The torching of two mosques near Qusra and Kour in the occupied West Bank marks the latest escalation in a campaign of intimidation that has become routine. Israeli settlers, acting with what appears to be near-total impunity, set fire to the religious sites and defaced them with racist graffiti. This Sunday's attacks targeted newly built places of worship, which hold special protection under international humanitarian law. Main Developments Violent clashes erupted near Tal, where settlers accompanied by occupation soldiers acted as security coordinators. The presence of military personnel alongside extremist civilians blurs the line between state authority and civilian extremism. Following the attacks, additional occupation troops were deployed, and sweeping arrests of Palestinians were carried out. Settler violence has become a systematic instrument of intimidation, sustained by political patronage and military protection. The attacks are part of a deliberate campaign to make life unbearable for Palestinians and advance the de facto annexation of occupied territory. Places of worship have repeatedly become targets of extremists seeking to provoke fear and inflame religious hostility. Read also: Why Punjab's monsoon warning demands more than just an umbrella Background Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Settlements in the territory are widely denounced as illegal under international law. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich openly advocates annexation and champions settlement expansion, reflecting views held by members of the governing coalition. This political backing creates an environment where extremist settlers act with confidence. Time and again, violent settlers have attacked Palestinian villages under the watchful eye of occupation forces. The impunity with which such violence is carried out has become a defining feature of the occupation. Why It Matters When members of the governing coalition openly pursue territorial annexation and settlers simultaneously intensify campaigns of intimidation, violence becomes part of a broader project to alter the demographic and political reality of the occupied territory through coercion and fear. Appeals for restraint ring hollow when not matched by meaningful accountability. Religious leaders, including Pope Leo and Rev. Munther Isaac, have expressed concern over the gravity of these assaults. Yet moral outrage alone cannot substitute for justice. The occupied West Bank illustrates what happens when geopolitical interests override international law and universally accepted human rights principles. What's Next Unless the entrenched impunity is challenged through genuine accountability and sustained pressure by the United States and other Western allies of Israel, settler violence will continue to escalate. This trajectory further imperils regional stability and douses what little hope remains for a just and lasting peace.