Christian leaders have accused Israeli settlers of attacking sacred sites in the West Bank, in violence that one said was forcing some to consider quitting the occupied territory, Reuters reports.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III — visiting the Christian town of Taybeh with other Jerusalem-based clerics — said settlers had started a fire near a cemetery and a 5th-century church there last week.

“These actions are a direct and intentional threat to our local community … but also to the historic and religious heritage,” the patriarch told diplomats and journalists at a press conference in Taybeh.

Settlers had also attacked homes in the area, he said.

“We call for an immediate and transparent investigation on why the Israeli police did not respond to emergency calls from the local community and why these abhorrent actions continue to go unpunished,” he added.

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