ISRAELI settlers torched and defaced a mosque in the central West Bank today, scribbling hateful messages in a show of defiance the day after some Israeli leaders had condemned a recent settler attack on Palestinians.

This coincided with Israel continuing to undermine the ceasefires in both Gaza and southern Lebanon.

At the mosque in the small Palestinian town of Deir Istiya, one wall, some of the carpeting and and at least three copies of the Koran were torched.

On one side of the building, settlers had left graffitied messages such as “we are not afraid,” “we will take revenge again” and “keep on condemning.”

The Hebrew scrawl appeared to refer to Major General Avi Bluth, the head of the military’s Central Command, who had issued a rare denunciation of the violence on Wednesday.

Soldiers from Israel’s military, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, were present at the scene.

It was the latest in a string of attacks that have provoked expressions of concern from top officials, military leaders and the United States, Israel’s most important supporter.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was “some concern about events in the West Bank spilling over and creating an effect that could undermine what we’re doing in Gaza.”

Palestinians and human rights groups say the violence is widespread and carried out by settlers across the territory, who enjoy impunity from Israel’s far-right government. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not commented on the surge in violence, but President Isaac Herzog described the attacks as “shocking and serious,” adding in a social media post that “all state authorities must act decisively to eradicate the phenomenon.”

In Gaza, where a truce supposedly began between Israel and Hamas on October 10, Israel carried out air attacks on Beit Lahiya, eastern areas of Gaza City and the southern city of Khan Younis.

The Palestinian territory’s Health Ministry says Israel has killed at least 260 Palestinians and wounded 632 since the ceasefire came into force last month.

In southern Lebanon, Israel said its forces had hit a weapons storage facility and underground infrastructure used by the Hezbollah resistance group.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire last November after more than a year of exchanges of fire between the two sides, including two months of all-out war.