Three individuals from Palestine have been apprehended on charges of setting fire to a Christmas tree and vandalizing a section of a Nativity scene at a Catholic church located in Jenin, a city within the Israeli-occupied West Bank. This information was released by the Palestinian Authority Police.
The incident reportedly occurred around 3 a.m. on Monday, as confirmed by church officials.
On Wednesday, authorities stated that the arrests were made following an examination of surveillance footage from the Holy Redeemer Church of Jenin. During the investigation, tools suspected to have been used in the attack were also confiscated from the accused.
The police strongly criticized this act, viewing it as a deliberate effort to stir up sectarian and religious discord in the region.
In response to the destruction, Palestinian parishioners were seen inspecting a newly erected Christmas tree at the Holy Redeemer Latin Church in Jenin on Tuesday, December 23, 2025. (AP)
Images shared by the church on social media depicted the bare frame of a synthetic Christmas tree, with green plastic branches removed and red and gold decorations scattered throughout the courtyard.
The torched tree was quickly cleaned up by the church, which erected a new one a day after the attack in time for Christmas Mass.
The church held a special ceremony with local Muslim and Christian leaders and politicians in attendance. Rev. Amer Jubran, the local priest at the church, said the arson was an isolated incident and emphasized the city’s unity.
“This occasion reaffirmed that attempts to harm religious symbols will never diminish the spirit of the city nor the faith of its people,” the Holy Redeemer Church said in a statement.
Palestinian Authority Police said the trio was taken into custody after a review of surveillance footage. (Getty Images)
The small Christian community in the West Bank is facing increasing threats of extremism from various sides, including both Israeli settlers and Palestinian extremists, prompting them to escape the region.
Christians make up between 1-2% of the West Bank’s roughly 3 million residents, and the vast majority of the community is Muslim. Across the entire Middle East, the Christian population has been declining as people have fled conflict.
In Israel, some church authorities and monitoring groups have documented a recent uptick in anti-Christian sentiment and harassment, including in Jerusalem’s Old City. Extremist Israeli settlers have also reportedly vandalized and torched areas around churches and Christian villages.
Police condemned the apparent attempt to incite sectarian and religious tensions in the West Bank. (Getty Images)
The Israel-Hamas war in Gaza kicked off a surge of violence in the West Bank, with the Israeli military’s offensive targeting terrorists killing hundreds of Palestinians and displacing tens of thousands. Terrorists have also attacked and killed Israelis in Israel and the West Bank.
The conflict has coincided with an increase in Israeli settler violence and Palestinian attacks on Israelis.
