Palestinian baby killed in West Bank terror attack
“What happened here is a terrorist action,” a Rabbis for Human Rights representative in the West Bank told the 'Post.'
By TOVAH LAZAROFF, YAAKOV LAPPINUpdated: JULY 31, 2015 10:50Scene of price tag. July 31, 2015
A Palestinian toddler was killed and three members of his family were injured in a deadly arson attack on their home by suspected far-right extremists early Friday morning, in the village of Duma, in the northern area of the West Bank, outside the city of Nablus.Another girl, who was in their home at the time was lightly injured from smoke inhalation, according to the IDF.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “I am shocked over this reprehensible and horrific act. This is an act of terrorism in every respect."A little before 4 a.m., two masked men reached two homes in the Palestinian village of Duma, broke windows, and hurled Molotov cocktails inside.Both homes caught fire. One building was empty at the time, but the second had a family inside, and the flames spread, killing a one-and-a-half year-old baby, Ali Dawabsha.His four-year old brother and both his parents were injured. The baby’s mother sustained 70 percent burns.Israel air lifted all family members to the Tel Hashomer Medical Center for emergency treatment.IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Moti Almoz said he does "not remember an incident this severe in recent years."The IDF has deployed four battalions to the West Bank in an attempt to maintain stability in the region and respond to potential wide-spread disturbances. Two infantry brigades, Nahal and Givati, have stopped training activities and returned to their bases, where they are on stand by, Almoz added.These steps reflect the IDF's concerns over the potential of the attack to undermine security stability, he said.
"We have to prepare for incidents, and for what may occur on the Temple Mount. Tensions in the past two weeks in Judea and Samaria all drain into this most severe incident. We are coordinating with PA security forces to calm the area," Almoz said.Graffiti found at scene of attack with the word "revenge."[credit: Rabbis for Human Rights]Judea and Samaria police's crime scene investigation unit was at the scene of the deadly arson attack gathering evidence. Police Spokesperson Luba Samri confirmed that "this is a suspected attack with nationalist motives."A field worker for the Israeli NGO Rabbis for Human Rights Zacharia Fabda who spoke to The Jerusalem Post from the village said, “What happened here is a terrorist action.” He added, it is “one of the more heinous ones that has occurred in the West Bank.”Fabda found graffiti in Hebrew scrawled on walls near the site of the incident reading "revenge" and "live the king."