Palestinians accuse Israeli settlers of West Bank arson that damaged family home

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry accused "Jewish terrorist elements" of an arson attack against a family home in the occupied West Bank on Sunday.

Fears in the West Bank have increased as Palestinians mark the Muslim holy month of Ramadan amid a surge of Israeli violence, including a number of killings by Israeli forces in the towns of Jenin and Nablus, as well as harassment and vandalism in the town of Hawara.

No one was hurt in the predawn fire in Sinjel. Ahmed Awashreh, the owner of the home that was badly damaged, said he was woken by the sound of a window smashing and managed to get his four children and wife out before the flames spread.

نجاة عائلة فلسطينية بينها اطفال من حريق منزل في سنجل شمال رام الله جراء تعرضه لهجوم بالزجاجات الحارقة من قبل المستوطنين صباح اليوم
تصوير : عصام الريماوي#جند_فلسطين #جيش_فلسطين_الالكتروني pic.twitter.com/MbrjoLBR1w

— اعلام || جيش فلسطين الإلكتروني PEA 🇵🇸 (@P_E_A2021) March 26, 2023

"It was so close. I'm happy I saved my family," he said.

A Sinjel resident who requested anonymity told Reuters he saw cars whose occupants he recognised as Jewish settlers nearby minutes before the incident.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry blamed the incident on "Jewish terrorist elements". Meanwhile, Israeli police claim that the fire "was mostly likely caused due to a short circuit and not a deliberate ignition".

Israeli settlements, which take up land Palestinians seek for a state, are considered illegal under international law.

Palestinians in the occupied territories are experiencing an increased surge in Israeli violence in recent months. More than 80 Palestinians, including 16 children, have been killed in raids conducted in the West Bank, namely Jenin and Nablus. 

The brutality, described by Palestinians as the "bloodiest months" in recent Palestinian memory, has been condemned by rights groups.