Israel police arrest 9 suspects in deadly West Bank arson probe

Israel arrested several suspects on Sunday in raids linked to the firebombing of a Palestinian home in the West Bank that killed an 18-month-old child and his father, police said.

The suspects were arrested in wildcat Jewish settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank as part of "the investigation into the events that occurred in Duma," the Palestinian village where the 31 July arson attack took place, police said in a statement.

Haaretz reported that nine people in total were taken into custody, including two from Adei Ad outpost near Duma. The other seven were reportedly arrested at the Baladim outpost in north West Bank.

Also on Sunday, Defence Minister Moshe Ya'alon extended administrative detention orders for Meir Ettinger and Eviatar Slonim, two settlers who were arrested last week for their involvement in acts of "Jewish terrorism", by six months, Haaretz reported. Neither Ettinger, nor Slonim are thought to be directly connected to Duma arson attack.

Israel has pledged to crack down on violent settlers and others in the wake of the firebombing as well as a 30 July stabbing attack at a Jerusalem Gay Pride march that killed 16-year-old Shira Banki and wounded five others.

Saad Dawabsha, the father in the firebombing, died of his wounds on Saturday and relatives at his funeral accused Israeli authorities of failing to address violence by hardline settlers.

The attack also critically wounded the toddler's mother, Reham, and four-year-old brother, Ahmad, who are still in the hospital. 

A resident of Duma told MEE yesterday that Reham, who reportedly has serious burns across much of her body, is clinging on for her life.

Israel normally applies administrative detention, a form of incarceration without trial which dates from British-mandated Palestine, against Palestinians. As of June, 370 Palestinians were held in adminstrative detention, according to Israeli human rights group B'Tselem.

Mohammed Allan, a 33-year-old laywer who is one of the Palestinians now held under adminstrative detention, has been on a hunger strike for more than 50 days to protest the practice. His lawyer, Jamil al-Khatib, told MEE on Saturday that Israeli authorities plan to force feed Allan under a new controversial law.

Khatib also said comparing the administrative detention of Israelis and Palestinians was baseless.

“In order to hand one administrative detention order against one settler, who is notorious for incitement and planning many attacks, it took the Israeli general attorney and prosecution more than a month," Khatib said. 

"Meanwhile, Palestinians can be subjected to this same measure at disturbing ease without any judicial review or criticism, so no way can you compare the two.”

Additional reporting from MEE contributor Budour Hassan.