Riyadh, July 27 (SANA)The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Sunday condemned the torching of a mosque by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, describing the attack as a violation of international law and calling for those responsible to be held accountable.

In a statement, GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Al Budaiwi denounced the burning of the mosque in the village of Kur, near Tulkarm, where settlers also spray-painted racist and inflammatory slogans on the building.

Al Budaiwi said the attack formed part a continuing pattern ofIsraeli violationstargeting Palestinians and religious sites in the occupied territories.

He said attacks on places of worship represented a serious breach of international humanitarian law and infringed on the protection afforded to religious sites and freedom of worship under international conventions.

The GCC chief urged the international community, theU.N. Security Council,and human rights and humanitarian organizations to take urgent action to halt such attacks, ensure accountability for those responsible and provide international protection for the Palestinian people and their holy sites.

Al Budaiwi also reaffirmed the GCC’s longstanding support for the Palestinian people’s right to establish an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Earlier on Sunday, Israeli occupation forces carried out raids across theWest Bankand occupied Jerusalem, detaining 45 Palestinians, while Israeli settlers stepped up attacks on Palestinians and their property in several towns and villages across the territory.