Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Police say West Bank blaze that killed dozens of sheep caused by electrical fault, not arson attack
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A burned lighting fixture damaged in what police say was an electrical fire that led to the burning of dozens of sheep in as-Samu, a Palestinian village in the southern West Bank on February 17, 2026. (Israel Police)
Police say that the blazes that killed dozens of sheep in the southern West Bank were caused by an electrical fire, contradicting earlier suspicions of an overnight arson attack by extremist settlers.
The fire broke out in a Palestinian-owned sheep pen in as-Samu, near Hebron, which has seen attacks in the past by settler extremists.
After reaching the scene, police say they determined the blaze was caused by an electrical malfunction in which the canvas awning covering the sheep pen caught fire, burning the livestock.
“Based on the investigation, the assessment indicates that it is not a criminal or nationalistically motivated act,” police add.
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