Jewish settlers opposed to a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians

Six armed men in a white car drove into Beit Fajjar village near Bethlehem, early Monday morning and spray-painted insults in Hebrew on the walls before the building on fire, officials said.

Some members of the group Jewish skullcaps were wearing and at least wear a mask, they said.

Several Korans and prayer mats were burned in the attack, according to Ali Sawabta of the local municipality.

Both the police and the Israeli army is investigating the incident.

The Islamic movement Hamas in power in Gaza, meanwhile, condemned what he called "the Zionist desecration of houses of God."

The dispute over Jewish settlements in the heart of the US-led negotiations aimed at rescuing the peace talks after a Palestinian-Israeli ban on building new houses of settlers in the West Bank on September 26 passed.

Final settlers have adopted what they call a "price" of the policy in their attacks on Palestinians, fields and villages, each time the Israeli government takes steps to halt settlement construction.