Undercover Border Police officers and IDF troops arrested two Palestinian suspects overnight Sunday on suspicion of involvement in the fire that swept through the West Bank settlement of Havat Gilad over the weekend. The suspects were transferred for questioning by the police’s central investigative unit in the West Bank.
In its initial statement, police said the two had been arrested on suspicion of involvement in “setting the fire.” Minutes later, the wording was revised to say they were suspected of involvement in “causing the fire.” Police said a decision on whether to seek an extension of their detention would be made after they were questioned.
The fire in Havat Gilad
(Video: Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson’s office)
The fire broke out Saturday and destroyed 13 homes. The entire settlement was evacuated during firefighting efforts. Security forces initially assessed that the blaze may have been caused by a discarded cigarette butt. The arrest of the two Palestinians has now shifted the investigation toward possible deliberate involvement.
The Fire and Rescue Service has established a special investigative team to determine the cause of the blaze. Residents of Havat Gilad said from the outset that they believed the fire had been deliberately set.
“During Shabbat, we experienced a massive fire that, according to our understanding, was caused by arson carried out by Arabs,” the settlement said in a statement. “As a result, around 30 structures went up in flames and enormous damage was caused to infrastructure.”
(Photo: Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
Resident Oren Zar also accused Palestinian rioters of setting fires at several locations near the settlement while taking advantage of strong winds. “The fire spread rapidly,” he said. “The entire community was evacuated to Yitzhar and other communities. Some residents escaped the flames at the last moment.
“Thank God, there were no physical injuries, and that is the most important thing. With God’s help, we will heal everyone’s emotional wounds.”
Following the arrests, the Havat Gilad community committee thanked security forces and police for acting quickly. “Only days after the grave disaster in which dozens of family homes in the community were burned and many families were left without a roof over their heads, we have learned of the arrest of two suspects in the act,” the committee said.
It called on law enforcement authorities to complete the investigation, act decisively and impose the harshest penalties permitted by law on anyone found responsible. “This was terrorism, and the incident must be treated as an act of terror,” the committee said.
Havat Gilad residents are now focused on recovery, rebuilding and supporting families who lost their homes, the statement added, thanking the Israeli public for its support.