Two hurt in West Bank vehicle ramming, Palestinian attacker killed: army

Members of a “Jewish terror group” have been arrested over a July arson attack on a Palestinian home in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that killed a toddler and his parents, Israeli police said yesterday.

More than half of the Palestinians have been assailants, while others have been shot dead by Israeli security forces during clashes.

‘The forces responded, shooting the attacker and resulting in his death’.

It said the attack early Friday occurred in Hebron, a frequent flashpoint and the largest Palestinian city in the West Bank where some 850 Israelis live in heavily-guarded enclaves surrounded by tens of thousands of Palestinians.

Israel’s military said an “Israeli was stabbed and wounded northwest of Ramallah” and the assailant was shot at the scene.

The bloodshed was the latest incident in over two months of nearly daily Palestinian attacks.

The IDF Spokespersons Unit reported that the gunman exited his vehicle on the approach to the checkpoint, and opened fire on the soldiers. The US does not now recognize the Palestinian territories as an independent state, though the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted in Y 2012 to recognize Palestine as a “non-member observer state”.

Details on the arson case have been kept under wraps by Israel, drawing Palestinian allegations of foot-dragging, while lawyers for the suspects said their clients were pressured by interrogators to confess.

Since 1 October, 110 Palestinians have been killed along with 21 Israelis, an American, and an Eritrean.

The Israeli army summoned ‘Arabiya’s father and brother for interrogation in Ma’ale Adumim settlement, and held them for several hours, in an attempt to get them to reveal the location where the family took ‘Arabiya’s body.

Nineteen Israelis mainly attackers, and over 100 Palestinians, have now been killed amid spiralling unrest.

Palestinian security sources identified him as 19-year-old Anas Basam Hamad from near Ofra.

Most of the violence has been in the occupied West Bank but there have been semi-regular protests in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP the two wounded were in moderate condition.

Young Jewish men from wildcat settlement outposts in the West Bank and known as the “hilltop youth” have been blamed for violence and vandalism targeting Palestinians, Christian holy sites and even Israeli military property.

People not proven to possess been acting on direct orders have performed all the strikes.

Israeli officials privately accept that the violence is likely to continue.