JERUSALEM, April 15 (UPI) -- Israeli settlers are suspected of having vandalized a mosque in the West Bank.
The mosque in the village of Huwara near Nablus was painted with stars of David and slogans, nearby cars were burned and olive trees uprooted, BBC News reports.
The incidents, confirmed by the Israeli military, occurred Wednesday. It is being investigated by Israeli authorities.
The Israeli military takes the matter of harming or vandalizing holy sites very seriously, defense officials said in a statement, which added, "Those responsible should be brought to justice."
Tensions in the West Bank increased after Israeli officials announced Israel would build 1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem. The move drew significant ire from the United States and the Palestinians, who pulled out of scheduled indirect peace talks with Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has since ordered a 10-month stop in permits for new homes in the West Bank, a policy that doesn't include East Jerusalem.
