Authorities in the West Bank city of Jenin have detained three individuals suspected of torching a Christmas tree and vandalizing a section of a Nativity scene at a Catholic Church, according to statements from the Palestinian Authority police. The church is situated within an area under Israeli occupation.

On Wednesday evening, police confirmed the arrests, which followed an examination of surveillance footage. They also reported confiscating tools from the suspects believed to have been used in the act. The authorities denounced what appears to be an effort to provoke religious and sectarian discord in the region.

The Holy Redeemer Church of Jenin shared images on social media depicting the aftermath of the fire, showcasing a charred frame of a synthetic Christmas tree, stripped of its green branches, with red and gold decorations scattered across the courtyard. The church revealed that the incident took place at approximately 3 a.m. on Monday, causing damage to the Nativity scene as well.

In response, the church swiftly removed the damaged tree and replaced it with a new one the following day, ensuring it was ready for the Christmas Mass. A special ceremony was held, attended by both Muslim and Christian community leaders and politicians. Reverend Amer Jubran, the church’s priest, emphasized that this was an isolated event and highlighted the city’s solidarity.

“This event reinforced that attempts to harm religious symbols cannot weaken the city’s spirit or the faith of its residents,” the Holy Redeemer Church declared in a statement. The church has not provided further comments despite additional inquiries.

The tiny Christian community in the West Bank is facing growing threats of extremism from multiple sides, including both Israeli settlers and Palestinian extremists, leading them to leave the region in droves.

Christians account for between 1%-2% of the West Bank’s roughly 3 million residents, the vast majority of them Muslim. Across the wider Middle East, the Christian population has steadily declined as people have fled conflict and attacks.

Israel, whose founding declaration includes safeguarding freedom of religion and all holy places, sees itself as an island of religious tolerance in a volatile region. But some church authorities and monitoring groups have lamented a recent increase in anti-Christian sentiment and harassment, particularly in Jerusalem’s Old City. Extremist Israeli settlers have also vandalized and torched areas around churches and Christian villages.

The Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has sparked a surge of violence in the West Bank, with the Israeli military targeting militants in large-scale operations that have killed hundreds of Palestinians and displaced tens of thousands. That has coincided with a rise in settler violence and Palestinian attacks on Israelis. Palestinian militants have attacked and killed Israelis in Israel and the West Bank.

Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war. The internationally recognized Palestinian Authority has limited autonomy in parts of the territory, including Jenin, a city in the northern West Bank known as a militant stronghold.