LOD, Israel: A court charged two Israelis today over a firebombing last year that killed a Palestinian couple and their toddler, in an attack that sparked condemnation globally.
The pre-dawn attack on the Dawabsha family home in the West Bank village of Duma on July 31 killed 18-month-old Ali Saad Dawabsha, and fatally wounded his parents.
His brother, who was four at the time, was the sole survivor from the immediate family.
Amiram Ben-Uliel, 21, from the northern settlement of Shilo in the occupied West Bank, was charged with three counts of murder and one of attempted murder, arson and conspiracy to commit a hate crime, said the Israeli court indictment.
A 17-year-old, who remained unnamed under a gag order, was charged with being an accessory to committing a racially motivated murder.
Israel has been under heavy pressure to try those responsible for the attack, with rights groups questioning the delay in the case and contrasting it to the swift reaction often following Palestinian attacks.
Ben-Uliel and the minor, who lived in different wildcat settlements near Duma at the time, in July 2015 plotted to avenge a Palestinian shooting dead Malachi Rosenfeld near Shilo one month earlier, a statement from the justice ministry said.
The minor was also accused of having taken part in an arson attack on the Dormition Abbey in east Jerusalem.
Two other Israelis, including a minor, were charged for implication in "other terrorist acts".
These included the arson attacks on the Dormition Abbey in May 2014 and the Church of the Multiplication in June 2015, as well as acts of vandalism on Palestinian property.
Christians believe the church on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee is where Jesus performed the miracle of loaves and fishes.
In the Duma attack, masked assailants reportedly hurled Molotov cocktails through the windows of the Dawabsha home, which were left open because of the summer heat.
Graffiti left at the site, witness reports and the proximity of Israeli settlements led suspicions to fall immediately on Jewish extremists.
The arson attack followed days of tensions over West Bank settlements, with right-wing groups opposing the demolition of two buildings under construction that the Israeli High Court said were illegal.
The international community regards all Jewish settlements in the West Bank as illegal but the Israeli government makes a distinction between those it has authorised and those it has not.
The pre-dawn attack on the Dawabsha family home in the West Bank village of Duma on July 31 killed 18-month-old Ali Saad Dawabsha, and fatally wounded his parents.
His brother, who was four at the time, was the sole survivor from the immediate family.
A 17-year-old, who remained unnamed under a gag order, was charged with being an accessory to committing a racially motivated murder.
Advertisement
Ben-Uliel and the minor, who lived in different wildcat settlements near Duma at the time, in July 2015 plotted to avenge a Palestinian shooting dead Malachi Rosenfeld near Shilo one month earlier, a statement from the justice ministry said.
Advertisement
Two other Israelis, including a minor, were charged for implication in "other terrorist acts".
Advertisement
Christians believe the church on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee is where Jesus performed the miracle of loaves and fishes.
Advertisement
Graffiti left at the site, witness reports and the proximity of Israeli settlements led suspicions to fall immediately on Jewish extremists.
Advertisement
The international community regards all Jewish settlements in the West Bank as illegal but the Israeli government makes a distinction between those it has authorised and those it has not.
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Israel Set To Roll Out Plan To Replace Hamas Government In Gaza Israel Hits Gaza Refugee Camp After School Strike As War Enters 9th Month 9 Soldiers Injured After Explosion At Israeli Military Base Amid Huge Row, Karnataka Pauses Bill For Reservation In Private Sector Firms Travel Influencer Aanvi Kamdar Dies After Falling Off A Waterfall Near Mumbai UP Banker Dies By Suicide After 6 Months Of Bullying, Body-Shaming 3 Indians Among Crew Detained On Singapore Ship Carrying Drugs: Report Ensure Equal Rights For LGBTQ+ Community In Jail: Centre Writes To States Indian Envoy Assures Support To Bring Back Body Of Citizen Killed In Oman Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.