Senior UN official condemns arson attack in occupied West Bank

A senior United Nations official has condemned an arson attack by suspected Jewish extremists on the home of a Palestinian family in the occupied West Bank village of Duma.

Ibrahim Dawabsheh and his wife were at home during the attack and sustained light injuries as a result of smoke inhalation.

“This violent act could easily have resulted in a more tragic outcome, as did the heinous terrorist attack last July on the home of Mr. Dawabsheh's relatives in the same village,” said Robert Piper, the UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Assistance and Development Aid for the occupied Palestinian territory, in a press release.

Mr. Dawabsheh was the sole witness to that deadly arson attack which resulted in the death of 18-month-old Ali and his parents, and injuries to his 5-year-old brother Ahmad.

“I call upon Israel, as the occupying power, to investigate this incident promptly and fully, to bring the perpetrators to justice and to take all possible steps to ensure that vulnerable Palestinian communities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are protected,” Mr. Piper stressed.

“We must not permit such acts to foster hatred and escalate violence – this will only bring more personal tragedies and bury any prospect of peace,” he warned, adding that today's attack highlights “the urgent need to work together to bring an immediate resolution of the conflict and an end to the occupation.”