World

Israeli military says child killed in West Bank attack by suspected Jewish assailants

Associated Press
Published | Updated

A relative holds up a photo of a one-and-a-half year old boy, Ali Dawabsheh, in a house that had been torched in a suspected attack by Jewish settlers in Duma village near the West Bank city of Nablus, Friday, July 31, 2015. The boy died in the fire, his four-year-old brother and parents were wounded, according to a Palestinian official from the Nablus area. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) (The Associated Press)

A Palestinian man inspects a house after it was torched in a suspected attack by Jewish settlers killing an 18-month-old Palestinian child, his four-year-old brother and parents were wounded, according to a Palestinian official from the Nablus area. at Duma village near the West Bank city of Nablus, Friday, July 31, 2015. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) (The Associated Press)

Photos of a one-and-a-half year old boy, Ali Dawabsheh, lie in a house that had been torched in a suspected attack by Jewish settlers in Duma village near the West Bank city of Nablus, Friday, July 31, 2015. The boy died in the fire, his four-year-old brother and parents were wounded, according to a Palestinian official from the Nablus area. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) (The Associated Press)

The Israeli military says suspected Jewish assailants set fire to two Palestinian West Bank homes, killing a child and critically wounding four others.

The military says the suspects entered the village of Duma early Friday where they torched the houses and scrawled Hebrew graffiti.

Forces were scouring the area searching for the suspects, the military said.

Jewish extremists have for years attacked Palestinian property, as well as mosques, churches and even Israeli military bases in opposition to what they see as the Israeli government's favorable policies toward the Palestinians. It is rare for anyone to be killed in such attacks.

Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a military spokesman, said the incident was "nothing short of a barbaric act of terrorism." He said the military condemned the violence.