BICOM

An overnight arson attack on two houses in the Palestinian village of Duma in the West Bank left a Palestinian baby dead and other family members seriously injured.

One of the homes in Duma, near Nablus was empty but the other housed a family of four. 18-month-old Ali Saad Dawabsha was killed in the fire, while her parents and four-year-old brother have been hospitalized. They were evacuated by Israeli helicopter to Tel Hashomer Hospital in central Israel for emergency treatment.

Nearby the scene of the crime, Hebrew graffiti was found proclaiming “revenge” and “long live the king,” accompanied by a Star of David emblem. It is thought that the arson was a so-called ‘Price Tag’ attack, acts of vandalism against Palestinian property by extremists opposed to curbs on settlement building.

Leading the swift condemnation of the attack from across the political spectrum was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He said, “I am shocked by this horrific, heinous act… This is a terror attack in every sense of the word. The State of Israel deals forcefully with terror, regardless of who the perpetrators are.” He was joined by Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon, who called it a “serious terror attack.”

Jewish Home leader, Education Minister Naftali Bennett said “the murder of the baby is a shocking terror attack that is unfathomable,” while Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein addressed the perpetrators saying “We must ‘vomit’ these extremists from our midst.”

Zionist Union head and opposition leader Isaac Herzog called it a “horrifying hater crime… terror of the worst kind.” His party colleague Tzipi Livni said “I am ashamed and condemn the murderers… The Star of David sprayed on the house… is not my Star of David.”

Netanyahu said he has instructed security forces to “use all the resources at their disposal to capture the killers and bring them to justice as soon as possible.” In the meantime, security in the West Bank has been increased in anticipation of possible unrest.