Christian leaders in Taybeh, the last fully Christian town in the West Bank, are pressing for a thorough inquiry after fires were allegedly started by settlers near treasured religious locations.

Community leaders say the July 7 attack is the latest in a series of settler-related incidents that are destabilizing the town’s sacred heritage, agriculture, and safety, prompting a unified appeal for international intervention and protection, The Christian Post reported.

On the morning of July 7, fires broke out near Taybeh’s ancient Christian cemetery and the ruins of the Church of St. George, a site with origins in the fifth century. Local firefighters and residents acted swiftly to extinguish the blaze, preventing more extensive damage. Clergy from three major Christian denominations later issued a public statement addressing the incident.

Fathers Dawood Khoury, Jacques-Noble Abed and Bishara Fawaz—representing the Greek Orthodox, Latin and Melkite Greek Catholic churches—jointly condemned the suspected arson, calling for a transparent investigation. They emphasized that the incidents jeopardize not only sacred places but also the wellbeing of Taybeh’s residents. “As priests, we bear a pastoral and moral responsibility toward our community,” the statement read.

The town of Taybeh, identified in the Gospel as Ephraim, holds historical significance as the location where Jesus retreated before His Passion, according to the Book of John. Today, Taybeh is notable for being the last community in the West Bank comprised entirely of Christians. Religious leaders argue that this identity is under threat from expanding settlements and repeated acts of aggression.

Churches raise concerns over farmland dispute

Alongside the alleged arson, Taybeh’s priests reported that settlers have also allowed cattle to graze on the town’s agricultural lands. These include both private plots and areas close to homes, resulting in damage to olive trees and disruption of vital farming activity. The clergy say such harm undermines the town's economy and erodes its cultural fabric.

According to the statement, the eastern portion of Taybeh, a crucial part of the local agricultural economy, has been particularly affected. That region now reportedly faces encroachment from illegal settlement outposts. These locations, the priests say, are expanding under military protection and being used to stage further land-based assaults.

The church leaders framed the current situation as a broader existential threat. “We believe that the Holy Land cannot remain alive without its indigenous people,” they wrote. Calling for international awareness, they emphasized that driving off farmers and threatening worship sites inflicts long-term harm on the region’s spiritual and communal life.

Call for investigation and foreign assistance

In their message, the priests urged both local and international organizations to step in. They requested a full investigation of the July 7 fire and related land incursions and asked for diplomatic pressure to stop illegal settlement activity and livestock grazing. In addition, they appealed for foreign and church-led delegations to visit Taybeh and assess the situation firsthand.

The clergy also asked for legal support to help defend residents against the loss of property, and for programs designed to maintain economic and agricultural activity. They stressed the urgency of these measures to preserve the town’s future. The closing line of their statement expressed hope: “We remain steadfast in our shared faith...that truth and justice will ultimately prevail.”

The incident in Taybeh comes amid wider tensions in the region. In May, Israeli officials arrested several people in connection with unrelated wildfires near Jerusalem, which destroyed thousands of acres. At the time, some Palestinian social media accounts were reported to have encouraged similar acts against Israeli territory.

The regional backdrop of ongoing violence

One particularly widespread post warned that settler homes would be destroyed by "revolutionaries." While no direct link to those posts and the Taybeh fire has been confirmed, the incidents reflect heightened tensions. A Hamas official denied planning the earlier arsons but said such tactics weren’t ruled out in broader resistance efforts.

The current conflict traces back to the violent events of October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led forces launched a deadly attack on southern Israel. That assault left at least 1,200 people dead and involved more than 240 kidnappings. Since then, fighting has continued, with the Gaza Health Ministry reporting over 57,000 deaths—though it hasn’t specified how many were civilians or combatants.

The Philos Project, an organization focused on promoting religious pluralism in the Near East, commented on the Taybeh fire. Executive director Luke Moon noted that the situation should be viewed in context, describing actions by a minority of settler youth. “Many Israeli leaders have spoken out,” he said, while asking why more Palestinian leaders had not done the same about violence on their end.

Hope and vigilance amid uncertainty

Moon also pointed to a pattern of selective media framing in regional reporting. "Too often, only one side of the story is told," he said, urging for greater nuance. But for the priests of Taybeh, the larger concern remains the welfare of their town and parishioners.

In their view, the recent fire is not an isolated incident but part of a larger pattern that aims to displace Christian residents and diminish their historical role in the region. They say that ignoring the signs could lead to irreversible damage to one of Christianity’s oldest living communities in the Holy Land.

As calls for international response grow louder, Taybeh's local leaders continue to seek justice and protection through peaceful advocacy. They insist that safeguarding sacred land and community life must become a shared concern across faiths and nations.