Israeli military: child killed in West Bank attack

A Palestinian toddler has been burned to death in an arson attack by suspected Jewish settlers in the West Bank, Israeli police say.

Two houses in the Palestinian village of Duma, south of Nablus, were torched, and the assailants scrawled “price tag”, “revenge” and “long live the messiah” in Hebrew on the walls.

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said Israel would not allow “Jewish terrorists” to carry out such acts.

The military moved in and removed protesters holed up inside, but hundreds of Jewish settlers gathered at the scene and some fought with Israeli forces, who responded by firing water cannons at the protesters.

The slain child was identified as one-and-a-half year old Ali Dawabsheh.

Israel Defense Forces called the fire a terror attack.

Condemnations came swiftly Friday, with Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner calling the incident “nothing short of a barbaric act of terrorism”. The other house set on fire was badly damaged but it had been empty and there were no casualties there.

“It’s not something we do with Palestinians only”, he said. “If anyone is inciting to such crimes, they too should be thrown in jail”.

Israeli vandals also frequently launch price tag attacks against Palestinian fields in the occupied West Bank, uprooting dozens of olive trees.

The United States continues to view settlements as illegitimate and we strongly oppose steps to advance construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.