Israeli arsonists of the Dawabsheh family indicted

Since a wave of violence erupted at the start of October, 138 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, according to an AFP count, most while carrying out attacks on Israelis. Ali’s 4-year-old brother Ahmad survived.

These included the arson attacks on the Dormition Abbey in May 2014 and the Church of the Multiplication in June 2015, as well as acts of vandalism on Palestinian property. The IDF and other security services opposed withholding the bodies, saying the practice drove greater anger among Palestinians and undermined PA security forces who worked with Israel to prevent the attacks.

Israel handed over the bodies of 23 Palestinians Friday in an apparent bid to ease tensions, of which 14 were from the southern West Bank city.

During that time, at least 131 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, 90 of them identified by Israel as assailants.

Thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank city of Hebron mourned the death of 14 people who were killed in attacks and clashes.

Nearly daily Palestinian stabbings, car-rammings and shooting attacks have killed 21 Israelis and a United States citizen, raising fears of a wider escalation a decade after the last Palestinian uprising subsided.

Israeli leaders say Islamist groups who call for the destruction of Israel have played a major role in inciting the recent violence. Ambulances bring bodies of 17 Palestinians to a hospital in the West Bank city of Hebron, Friday, Jan.1, 2016.

It said that Israeli police registered the attack against an “unknown” suspect, although surveillance cameras in the area prove that it was carried out by settlers. Ben-Uliel’s parents said they believe in his innocence and that he was tortured during interrogation.

Naser al-Dawabsheh said he did not think justice was being served because he believes that many more people were involved in the arson attack. A lawyer for one of the suspects says his client gave a forced confession after interrogators deprived him of sleep and tied him upside down by his feet. Six others were handed over in the northern West Bank.