Fire in Palestinian village one year after deadly arson

NABLUS, Palestinian Territories — A fire burned a home Wednesday in a Palestinian village where an arson attack by Jewish extremists a year ago killed a toddler and his parents, residents and authorities said.

Inhabitants of the village of Duma in the occupied West Bank and a Palestinian official said they suspected another Jewish extremist attack, but Palestinian firefighters had not commented on the cause.

The blaze damaged the home of Mohammed Dawabsheh, located near the house that was firebombed on July 31 last year.

Dawabsheh and his wife suffered smoke inhalation, but there were no other injuries.

UN Mideast Envoy Nickolay Mladenov said Israel was obliged under international law to protect those living under its occupation.

"I am concerned by reports of yet another arson attack on the home of the Dawabsheh family last night in Duma in the occupied West Bank," he said in a statement.

"If confirmed, this despicable act would be the third incident in this particular village in the last year." 

Israeli forces said they were investigating the cause, but that they had so far not found any evidence of a Jewish extremist attack.

Dawabsheh said he and his wife heard noises outside their home in the middle of the night.

"We went outside and afterwards we heard an explosion in the bedroom and saw huge flames," he said.

Neighbours assisted them in moving to safety.

Last year's attack on a family home in the village killed 18-month-old Ali Saad Dawabsheh and fatally injured his parents.

Five-year-old Ahmed was the sole survivor from the immediate family.

Mohammed Dawabsheh is part of the same clan but is not an immediate relative of the family.

The 2015 attack sparked global condemnation and drew renewed attention to Jewish extremism, including accusations Israel had not done enough to prevent such violence.

In January, a court charged two Israeli settlers over the firebombing after slow progress in the case led to criticism from human rights groups and Palestinians.

Mladenov said the courts were still moving too slowly.

“Indictments have been made, but the perpetrators of this terrible crime have yet to face justice,” he said.

“I call upon the authorities to move swiftly in bringing the perpetrators of this terrible crime, as well as this latest incident, to justice.”

In March, another fire burned the Duma home of a key witness to the arson attack, but the cause was not clear. Israeli authorities said at the time they were investigating.