Another suspect arrested over West Bank arson attack against Palestinians

Police have arrested another suspect in connection with last month’s large-scale arson attack by extremist settlers against Palestinians in the northern West Bank.

He is suspected of being one of dozens of masked assailants who embarked on a rampage in the Beit Lid area, setting fire to cars, destroying buildings and attacking Palestinian residents with clubs and stones.

The suspect was detained by IDF troops alongside two others shortly after the attack. The soldiers handcuffed the three and loaded them into a military vehicle, but the vehicle came under attack by rioting settlers, who managed to free him and another of the suspects.

Police say that a special task force in the West Bank District, which was established last month to combat Jewish nationalist violence, has been conducting an “intensive investigation” to track down the suspect. He was located and arrested Monday after a month on the run.

The suspect was brought to court yesterday and will remain in custody until tomorrow.

Last month, prosecutors filed terror charges against another suspected perpetrator of the arson attack, who is still in custody awaiting trial. He was indicted on charges of arson, aggravated sabotage, malicious damage and intentional sabotage of a vehicle.