Israeli Extremist Leader Once Again Calls for Torching Jerusalem Churches

In an apparent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Palestinians in the West Bank, Israeli soldiers came under sniper fire in two separate incidents on Sunday, both in the area of Hebron. Three members of a family of Palestinians living in Duma, a village in the West Bank, were killed in their home after it was firebombed in the night while they slept.

At least 142 Palestinians have been killed by Israelis since October 1, according to the Palestian news agency Maan.

A minor who was not named confessed to helping plan the Duma attack, according to Shin Bet, and was charged with providing assistance and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Lawyers for some of those detained over the arson attack allege their clients were tortured to extract confessions but this has been denied by the Israeli authorities. The attacker had attempted to stab police on Haim Bar-Lev Street in Jerusalem near the Old City and then tried to run away. But his grandparents, whom AFP met at home next to their son’s torched house in Duma, said they did not believe in “unfair Israeli justice”.

Israeli prosecutors filed the indictments in Lod District Court on Sunday, when a gag order was lifted on some details of the July 31 arson attack case.

In December, Israeli police seized a video where a group of Jewish extremists were seen celebrating the death of Palestinian baby Ali Dawabsheh, during a wedding in Israel.

Palestinian boys look into the house of Bahaa Allyan, who was shot dead after he and an accomplice reportedly boarded a bus and shot and stabbed people at a Jerusalem in October past year, after it was partially demolished by Israeli forces in the east Jerusalem Palestinian neighbourhood of Jabal Mukaber on January 4, 2016. Two of them are also minors.

In the past three months of violence, Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers have killed 21 Israelis, mostly in stabbings, shootings and car-ramming attacks.

The surge in violence has been fueled by Palestinians’ frustration over Israel’s 48-year occupation of land they seek for an independent state, and the expansion of settlements in those territories which were captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.

“The Israeli justice system is now in the spotlight”, he said. The rest died in clashes with security forces. A few hours later, also in Hebron, the military said another soldier was shot and wounded.