Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu condemned the arson attack which left a Palestinian toddler dead and his family injured in the West Bank on Thursday, according to a Friday statement by the Prime Minister’s spokesman Ofir Gendelman.
The incident took place in the Palestinian village of Duma in the West Bank, when Israeli settlers set a house on fire and destroyed it, killing the 18-month-old. The other victims were transferred to hospital for treatment.
The Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), however, holds the Israeli government accountable for the act.
“We hold the Israeli government fully responsible for the brutal assassination of the toddler Ali Saad Dawabsha,” Palestinian Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat said in a statement.
Netenyahu on the other hand noted in his statement that he was “shocked over this reprehensible and horrific act. This is an act of terrorism in every respect.”
Israel has been widely criticised for its attempts to illegally expand its settlement activities in the West Bank.
According to Palestinian news agency Ma’an, more than 500,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law
