UN official calls for prosecution of arsonists who killed Palestinian family

The United Nations Special Envoy to the Middle East Nikolay Mladenov has expressed concern over the “slow progress” of the investigation into the firebombing attack believed to have been carried out by Jewish extremist settlers that killed a Palestinian child and his parents earlier this year.

“Four months have passed since the arson attack against the Dawabsha family in the village of Duma in the occupied West Bank,” Mladenov said in a statement.

The “brutal killing of Ali and his parents was a tragedy that has angered Palestinians and shocked Israelis,” he went on.

Mladenov said he was concerned by the slow progress of the investigation, and called on Israeli authorities “to move swiftly in bringing the perpetrators of this terrible crime to justice.”

Jewish extremists firebombed the Dawabsha home in the village of Duma, south of Nablus on 31 July while the family slept inside. Ali Dawabsha, the family’s 18-month old son, died in the attack; his parents, Saad and Riham, succumbed to their injuries in the aftermath of the attack.

The family’s sole remaining member, 4-year-old Ahmed, is still being treated for extensive burns to most of his body.

The statement came two days after Israeli media reported a significant development in the investigation, but withheld details because of a gagging order. Israeli authorities have said that some of the suspects may already be jailed under Israel’s administrative detention policy.