Police updated their statement regarding arrests linked to a fire, changing the description from 'involvement in setting the fire' to 'involvement in causing the fire'. The reason for the revision was not immediately disclosed.
Israeli police revised their arrest announcement on Monday morning, changing the legal description of the suspects' involvement from 'involvement in setting the fire' to 'involvement in causing the fire'. The revision, which came after earlier reports that the suspects were accused of arson, brings the official statement back to the wording used in the initial police announcement. The reason for the update was not immediately disclosed.
The development follows a series of reports published at 09:52 Jerusalem. The initial police statement (version 1) used the term 'causing', but subsequent reports (version 2) shifted to 'setting'. By version 3, police emphasized that investigators had not established a suspicion of deliberate arson, and the fire was likely caused by a discarded cigarette thrown from a vehicle on Highway 55. The community committee of Havat Gilad responded (version 4) by thanking security forces and calling the act terrorism, demanding maximum punishment. The final arrest notice (version 5) then stated that two Palestinians were arrested on suspicion of involvement in starting the fire, without specifying the charge as arson.
The fire, which swept through the Samaria community of Havat Gilad on Saturday, caused damage to dozens of buildings and vehicles. The arrest was carried out in a joint operation by the Judea and Samaria District Police, Border Police, and IDF. The background of the suspects and the exact circumstances of the fire remain under investigation.
What remains unclear is the legal basis for the revised charge. Police have not explained why the wording was changed from 'setting' to 'causing', nor whether the suspects are still under suspicion of criminal negligence or if the arson theory has been dropped. The investigation is ongoing.
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Source and signal
- Internal intake