Advertisement

Palestinian Toddler Killed In Arson Attack

Palestinian Toddler Killed In Arson Attack

A Palestinian toddler has been killed and several other people wounded in a fire suspected to have been carried out by Jewish extremists.

The assailants entered the village of Kafr Duma, near the West Bank city of Nablus, torching two houses and scrawling Hebrew graffiti, including "revenge" and "Price Tag" - a slogan used by Israeli extremists.

They threw Molotov cocktails, or fire bombs, at the houses, the Israeli military said.

The 18-month-old child, identified as Ali Dawabsheh, was killed, while his four-year-old brother and their parents were badly wounded and taken to hospital, Palestinian officials said.

The house was destroyed by the fire, apparently as the family slept inside, while a neighbouring home was badly damaged, but was empty and there were no casualties there.

The White House said on Friday it condemned the "vicious" arson attack.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the firebombing "an act of terrorism in every respect".

He made a rare telephone call to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

But Mr Abbas' spokesman said the Netanyahu government was "fully responsible" for the child's death.

Nabil Abu Rdainah told Palestinian news agency WAFA: "Such a crime would not have occurred if the Israeli government did not insist on pursuing settlements and protecting settlers."

The Israeli military said it sent troop reinforcements to the West Bank, fearing the incident could trigger unrest.

The "Price Tag" group has been blamed for a series of mosque fires in the West Bank in the past few years, often in retribution for Israeli actions against illegally built settlements.

Israel tore down two illegal structures in the Beit El settlement earlier this week.

It was the worst attack by Israeli extremists since a Palestinian teenager was torched to death in Jerusalem a year ago.

That followed the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers by Palestinian militants in the West Bank.

The arson attack comes a day after six people taking part in an annual Gay Pride march in Jerusalem were stabbed by an ultra-Orthodox man in Jerusalem.