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Palestinian toddler burnt to death in arson attack
A man shows a picture of 18-month-old Palestinian toddler Ali Saad Dawabsha who died when his family house was set on fire by alleged Jewish extremists in the West Bank village of Duma. (AFP)
Al Arabiya News with Agencies
Friday, 31 July 2015
An 18-months old Palestinian toddler was burnt to death on Friday after a group of suspected Jewish attackers torched his house, seriously injuring his parents and four-year-old brother, in an attack the Palestinian president described as a “humanitarian crime.”
The house in Duma, a village near the city of Nablus, had its windows smashed and fire bombs thrown inside shortly before dawn as the family slept, the military and witnesses said. Graffiti in Hebrew reading “revenge” was scrawled outside, below a Star of David.
The child’s parents and four-year-old brother were flown by helicopter to an Israeli hospital where they were said to be in serious condition, officials said. A second house in the village was also set ablaze, but no one was at home.
It was the worst attack by Israeli assailants since a Palestinian teenager was burned 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 Israeli military boosted forces in the area to search for the suspects, described by a spokesman as “two masked terrorists,” and prevent any escalation in violence. The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas called for revenge.
Netanyahu calls Abbas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a rare telephone call to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, condemning the murder.
Netanyahu told Abbas “everyone in Israel was shocked by the reprehensible terrorism against the Dawabsha family” that killed the 18-month-old boy, his office said.
“We must fight terrorism together, regardless of which side it comes from,” he added
Part of Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition is the ultranationalist Jewish Home party, which advocates more settlements and settler rights in the West Bank. Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett was quick to denounce the attack, but Palestinians accused the party of laying the ground for it.
Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner called the arson “nothing short of a barbaric act of terrorism.”
The police said a special task-force was investigating the killing, along with the Shin Bet security service.
U.N. condemns, U.S. slams ‘vicious terrorist attack’
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) condemned the attack later on Friday.
“The members of the security council expressed profound and condemned in the strongest terms the viscous arson attack in the village of Duma near Nablus which killed Palestinian toddler, Ali, and injured his family members,” a statement from the highest U.N. body said.
UNSC members also “underlined the need to bring the perpetrators of this deplorable act to justice.”
The United States on Friday also condemned what it said was a “vicious terrorist attack.”
A statement from the U.S. State Department urged Israel to “apprehend the murderers” and called on both sides to “avoid escalating tensions in the wake of this tragic incident.”
Abbas wants ICC to probe case
Abbas described the attack as a “war crime, a humanitarian crime.” He also said it would be part of the Palestinians’ case against Israel at the International Criminal Court.
Palestinian official Saeb Erekat blamed Israel for the incident, calling it a “brutal assassination.”
Earlier a spokesman for Abbas also held Israel responsible. “Such a crime would not have occurred if the Israeli government did not insist on pursuing settlements and protecting settlers,” Nabil Abu Rdainah said.
Hamas spokesman Hussam Badran called for retaliation. “This crime has made occupation soldiers and settlers everywhere legitimate targets,” he said.
The Center for Arab British Understanding (CAABU) said this “was not an isolated incident.”
“Israeli settlers in the West Bank have perpetrated killings and violence against Palestinians for years in a climate of almost complete impunity,” a statement from the group said.
Nine Palestinian homes have been burnt down by settlers in the past three years, CAABU said citing a report by Israeli rights group B’Tselem.
“Caabu Parliamentary delegations have witnessed settler violence and its results. These include burnt homes, cars and olive groves,” the statement said.
“All too frequently human rights groups and video evidence show that Israeli soldiers stand by and do nothing.”
CAABU director Chris Doyle said these settlers should not have been in the West Bank in the first place.
“Settlements are illegal. They also have a real impact on Palestinian lives taking their land, resources and water. Moreover they pose a real and serious threat to Palestinian security,” he said.
Last Update: Friday, 31 July 2015 KSA 20:31 - GMT 17:31
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/07/31/Palestinian-toddler-killed-in-suspected-extremist-attack.html

A man shows a picture of 18-month-old Palestinian toddler Ali Saad Dawabsha who died when his family house was set on fire by alleged Jewish extremists in the West Bank village of Duma. (AFP)
Al Arabiya News with Agencies
Friday, 31 July 2015
An 18-months old Palestinian toddler was burnt to death on Friday after a group of suspected Jewish attackers torched his house, seriously injuring his parents and four-year-old brother, in an attack the Palestinian president described as a “humanitarian crime.”
The house in Duma, a village near the city of Nablus, had its windows smashed and fire bombs thrown inside shortly before dawn as the family slept, the military and witnesses said. Graffiti in Hebrew reading “revenge” was scrawled outside, below a Star of David.
The child’s parents and four-year-old brother were flown by helicopter to an Israeli hospital where they were said to be in serious condition, officials said. A second house in the village was also set ablaze, but no one was at home.
It was the worst attack by Israeli assailants since a Palestinian teenager was burned 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 Israeli military boosted forces in the area to search for the suspects, described by a spokesman as “two masked terrorists,” and prevent any escalation in violence. The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas called for revenge.
Netanyahu calls Abbas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a rare telephone call to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, condemning the murder.
Netanyahu told Abbas “everyone in Israel was shocked by the reprehensible terrorism against the Dawabsha family” that killed the 18-month-old boy, his office said.
“We must fight terrorism together, regardless of which side it comes from,” he added
Part of Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition is the ultranationalist Jewish Home party, which advocates more settlements and settler rights in the West Bank. Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett was quick to denounce the attack, but Palestinians accused the party of laying the ground for it.
Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner called the arson “nothing short of a barbaric act of terrorism.”
The police said a special task-force was investigating the killing, along with the Shin Bet security service.
U.N. condemns, U.S. slams ‘vicious terrorist attack’
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) condemned the attack later on Friday.
“The members of the security council expressed profound and condemned in the strongest terms the viscous arson attack in the village of Duma near Nablus which killed Palestinian toddler, Ali, and injured his family members,” a statement from the highest U.N. body said.
UNSC members also “underlined the need to bring the perpetrators of this deplorable act to justice.”
The United States on Friday also condemned what it said was a “vicious terrorist attack.”
A statement from the U.S. State Department urged Israel to “apprehend the murderers” and called on both sides to “avoid escalating tensions in the wake of this tragic incident.”
Abbas wants ICC to probe case
Abbas described the attack as a “war crime, a humanitarian crime.” He also said it would be part of the Palestinians’ case against Israel at the International Criminal Court.
Palestinian official Saeb Erekat blamed Israel for the incident, calling it a “brutal assassination.”
Earlier a spokesman for Abbas also held Israel responsible. “Such a crime would not have occurred if the Israeli government did not insist on pursuing settlements and protecting settlers,” Nabil Abu Rdainah said.
Hamas spokesman Hussam Badran called for retaliation. “This crime has made occupation soldiers and settlers everywhere legitimate targets,” he said.
The Center for Arab British Understanding (CAABU) said this “was not an isolated incident.”
“Israeli settlers in the West Bank have perpetrated killings and violence against Palestinians for years in a climate of almost complete impunity,” a statement from the group said.
Nine Palestinian homes have been burnt down by settlers in the past three years, CAABU said citing a report by Israeli rights group B’Tselem.
“Caabu Parliamentary delegations have witnessed settler violence and its results. These include burnt homes, cars and olive groves,” the statement said.
“All too frequently human rights groups and video evidence show that Israeli soldiers stand by and do nothing.”
CAABU director Chris Doyle said these settlers should not have been in the West Bank in the first place.
“Settlements are illegal. They also have a real impact on Palestinian lives taking their land, resources and water. Moreover they pose a real and serious threat to Palestinian security,” he said.
Last Update: Friday, 31 July 2015 KSA 20:31 - GMT 17:31
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/07/31/Palestinian-toddler-killed-in-suspected-extremist-attack.html