Suspected Jewish extremists arrested over firebombing that killed 18-month-old

Those detained are believed to have been involved in the killing of Ali Dawabshe last July.

A Palestinian man inspects a house that was badly damaged in a suspected attack by Jewish extremists on two houses at Duma village near the West Bank city of Nablus on July 31. Reuters

JERUSALEM // Israeli authorities said on Thursday they had arrested several alleged Jewish extremists over the July firebombing of a Palestinian home in the West Bank that killed a mother, father and 18-month-old Ali Dawabshe.

The announcement of the arrests comes as Israel faced mounting pressure to bring the attackers to justice, with a UN Middle East envoy on Wednesday expressing concern over the “slow progress” in the probe.

“We have confirmed that a number of suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident that took place in Duma,” Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

The Shin Bet domestic security agency said arrests had been made in recent days of young men “suspected of belonging to a Jewish terror organisation and carrying out terror attacks.”

It said in a statement that those detained were being questioned over the July 31 firebombing in the West Bank village of Duma.

Further details of the investigation remained under an Israeli gag order, often used to keep details secret of sensitive investigations.

The Dawabshe couple’s four-year-old son is the sole survivor from the immediate family of the firebombing.

The attack led to widespread condemnation globally as well as by Israelis and Palestinians, but no one has been charged for the killings.

Palestinians have often highlighted the lack of progress in the case as among the causes for a wave of violence that began on October 1.

Since the start of October, 104 people have been killed on the Palestinian side, including an Arab Israeli, while 17 Israelis, an American and an Eritrean have also died.

Many of the Palestinians killed have been attackers, while others have been shot dead by Israeli security forces during clashes.

* Agence France-Presse