Condemnations have poured over after video footages on social media showed two Israeli soldiers chanting Hanukkah songs and Jewish prayer over the loudspeakers of a mosque in Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Authorities, the U.S., U.N. and Türkiye all joined in condemnation of the incident, video of which was shared by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Media reports said the soldiers took over the loudspeaker system of a local mosque to sing several songs for the Hanukkah holiday and the most important Jewish prayer "Shema Yisrael."
Typically the muezzin is heard through the loudspeakers of a mosque calling Muslims to prayer.
It was not clear when the footage was filmed but Israeli forces were engaged in a deadly raid in Jenin this week that saw 11 Palestinians killed, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
The soldiers were reportedly dismissed from the mission by their commanders and launched an initial investigation into the incidents, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz cited an army spokesman as saying.
"The behavior of the soldiers is serious and completely contrary to the values of the Israeli army. The soldiers will be disciplined accordingly," he said.
The Palestinian presidency condemned what it called the "shameful desecration" of the mosque.
"Israeli occupation forces' desecration of a mosque in the Jenin camp is shameful and condemnable behaviour," Palestinian presidency spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh said in a statement.
He warned against "dragging the region into a religious war" and of "the repercussions of these attacks."
"The flames of religious war that Israel seeks to ignite will not be limited to Palestinian region only, but will extend to the entire world if it remains silent about Israel's crimes and violations of the rights of Palestinian people."
Abu Rudeineh called on the international community and the United States to "put pressure on Israel to stop its violations against Palestinian people, their property and their sanctities."
In its reaction, the U.S. said it was concerned about "not appropriate" social media footage.
"I did see that video. That's obviously not appropriate," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told Anadolu Agency (AA).
"We were concerned when we saw the reports," said Miller.
Türkiye also strongly condemned the "provocations" by Israeli forces and the desecration of the mosque, Türkiye's Foreign Ministry said, calling for those responsible to be punished.
"We strongly condemn the provocations of Israeli soldiers who stormed the Jenin Refugee Camp, and disrespected sanctity of a place of worship by entering the mosque," Spokesman Öncü Keçeli said on social messaging platform X late Thursday.
"In East Jerusalem and the West Bank, where tensions are running extremely high due to settler terror and heavy pressure and attacks by Israeli security forces against Palestinians, we expect attacks on Muslim holy places to be ended immediately and those who perpetrate these provocations to be punished in the most severe way," he added.
The United Nations, in the meantime, warned that religious sites need to be respected.
"The desecration of religious sites should not be tolerated. And so that is against common decency, to say the least," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters Thursday.
"Religious sites need to be respected and cannot be perverted in one way or another."
In Gaza, Israel has carried out a brutal military operation against Palestinian resistance group Hamas, and has shelled the territory for weeks, the Antiquities Ministry estimates more than 100 mosques have been destroyed.
Tensions have also been running high across the West Bank amid an Israeli military offensive following the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion.
At least 288 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and more than 4,000 others detained since then, according to Palestinian figures.
