Man arrested on suspicion of Jerusalem hills arson released to house arrest; fire officials have blamed conditions for blazes

Police release Riyad Abu Tir, a 63-year-old resident of East Jerusalem’s Umm Tuba neighborhood, to house arrest, after he was detained last Wednesday on suspicion of arson, a police spokeswoman confirms.

Officers detained Abu Tir during the massive wildfires on the outskirts of Jerusalem last week, amid rumors spread by politicians that the blazes were intentionally sparked by Palestinian nationalists.

He was arrested by law enforcement after cops received a tip claiming that someone had attempted to start a fire between Umm Tuba and Har Homa.

Abu Tir’s detention was extended until yesterday. Police at the time said they nabbed him with an igniter and combustible materials, sharing a photo of a lighter, cotton wool and tissues they found on his person.

According to Haaretz, Abu Tir’s lawyer argued that his client had gone to the area to smoke, adding that he also had a pipe and tobacco on him at the time of his arrest. He claimed the cotton wool was used by the defendant to clean his pipe.

Police requested again yesterday to extend Abu Tir’s remand by five days, but were rejected by the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court, which granted police only one additional day. The District Court upheld the decision.

Fire service officials have declined to name arson as the main cause of the fires in the Jerusalem hills, blaming instead the unfavorable topography of the region and harsh weather conditions. Last week saw intense heat and powerful, dry southerly winds, enabling fires to quickly spread through the forests.