- Title: Palestinians accuse settlers of West Bank arson, Israel sees electrical fire
- Date: 26th March 2023
- Summary: SINJEL, WEST BANK (MARCH 26, 2023) (REUTERS) PALESTINIANS FIREFIGHTERS PUTTING DOWN FIRE FIRE BURNING INSIDE HOUSE FIREFIGHTERS WORKING AT SCENE, PEOPLE WATCHING BURNT FURNITURE VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS WORKING AT SCENE OWNER OF THE HOUSE THAT WAS BADLY DAMAGED BY FIRE, AHMED AWASHREH, WALKING OUT OF HIS HOME ISRAELI POLICE ARRIVE TO CHECK SCENE BURNT FURNITURE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) OWNER OF HOUSE BADLY DAMAGED BY FIRE, AHMED AWASHREH, SAYING: "We had our early breakfast (Suhour) and we went to sleep, all was good and nothing was happening. Young men from the village saw the settlers but did not posted alert on the group, the settlers came from the back and attacked us from the window of the kitchen." EXTERIOR OF BURNT HOME VEHICLE OF PALESTINIAN FIREFIGHTERS ISRAELI SOLDIERS AT SCENE ISRAELI FORCES AT SCENE ISRAELI POLICE CHECKING BURNT SCENE
- Embargoed: 9th April 2023 13:14
- Keywords: Israel Palestinians West Bank fire settlers
- Location: SINJEL, WEST BANK
- City: SINJEL, WEST BANK
- Country: Palestinian Occupied Territory
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Middle East
- Reuters ID: LVA001036726032023RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The Palestinian Foreign Ministry accused "Jewish terrorist elements" of an arson attack against a family home in the occupied West Bank on Sunday (March 26), but Israeli police said the fire appeared to have been an accident.
West Bank tensions have been running high as Palestinians mark the Muslim holy month of Ramadan amid a surge of violence, including a gun attack on Saturday (March 25) in which two Israeli soldiers were wounded and almost nightly arrest raids by the Israeli army.
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.
"The settlers came from the back and attacked us from the window of the kitchen", 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" but Israeli police, who sent investigators to the scene, said in a statement that the fire "was most likely caused due to a short circuit and not a deliberate ignition".
Most countries deem the settlements, which take up land Palestinians seek for a state, illegal. Israel disputes this.
(Production: Mohammed Torokman, Mustafa Abu Ganeyeh) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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