Court extends remand of settler accused of stabbing Palestinian to death in West Bank altercation

An Ashkelon court extends the detention of an Israeli settler suspected of killing a Palestinian during a confrontation in the northern West Bank until next Tuesday.

The settler, whose identity is barred from publication under a gag order, was arrested last Wednesday. Israeli law enforcement suspects him of stabbing Ali Hassan Harb, 27, in the heart on the outskirts of the Palestinian village of Iskaka.

The suspect arrived in the area alongside 15 and 20 Israelis in an apparent attempt to examine whether an illegal outpost could be constructed on the site. Harb and several Palestinians confronted them. After a disputed chain of events, the settler stabbed Harb in the chest, according to Palestinian witnesses.

Palestinian witnesses say Israeli police and soldiers were present when the suspect stabbed Harb. The army denies soldiers were on the scene, while police have declined to comment, citing the gag order.

The suspect’s attorney says he was attacked by a mob of Arabs and acted in self-defense.

“This was an event in which Jews were miraculously saved. This was a grave incident of Arabs attacking Jews,” said Adi Kedar, an attorney at Honenu, a right-wing legal aid organization that often represents Jews accused of hate crimes.