Trio of Palestinians arrested for allegedly torching Christmas tree at Catholic church in West Bank

'We will NEVER leave Gaza': Israeli defense minister vows to take on 'fierce battle' Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst has the latest on Israel's accusation against Hamas on 'America Reports.' Three Palestinians were arrested on accusations of lighting a Christmas tree on fire and damaging part of a Nativity scene at a Catholic church in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Jenin, Palestinian Authority Police announced. The attack happened at around 3 a.m. on Monday, according to the church. Palestinian Authority Police said on Wednesday that the trio was taken into custody after a review of surveillance footage targeting the Holy Redeemer Church of Jenin. Tools were taken from the suspects that are believed to have been used in the attack. Police condemned the apparent attempt to incite sectarian and religious tensions in the West Bank. Palestinian parishioners check a recently installed Christmas tree after the previous one was destroyed at the Holy Redeemer Latin Church in the West Bank town of Jenin, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP) The church shared photos on social media showing the skeleton of a synthetic Christmas tree that had been cleared of the green plastic branches, as red and gold ornaments were seen scattered across 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 that the arson was an isolated incident as he 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. POPE LEO XIV DELIVERS FIRST CHRISTMAS CALLING FOR END TO VIOLENCE IN MIDDLE EAST, RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR Police condemned the apparent attempt to incite sectarian and religious tensions in the West Bank. (Getty Images) CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP The Israel-Hamas war in Gaza kicked off a surge of violence in the West Bank, with the Israeli military's offensive targeting terrorists has killed hundreds of Palestinians and displaced tens of thousands. Terrorists have also...

Preview: ~500 words