The Zioneer's reporter Eliya Aviv reports on the Israeli police's divergent versions of the circumstances of a fire in Samaria, raising the question of whether it was arson or negligence.
Today at 13:38 Jerusalem, The Zioneer's reporter Eliya Aviv reports that Israeli police have given conflicting accounts of the circumstances of the fire in Samaria, raising the question of whether the blaze was deliberately set or caused by negligence. This new development follows the force's earlier handling of the case, which saw the arrest of two Palestinian suspects earlier today.
At 10:45 Jerusalem, The Zioneer published a series of updates on the fire. Initial reports, citing Arab media and i24NEWS, identified the two arrested suspects as officers in the Palestinian Authority police force. Shortly after, Israel Police officially confirmed the arrest of two Palestinian suspects but did not confirm their affiliation with the PA police. A subsequent report indicated that investigators are examining whether a discarded cigarette started the fire, though that report remains unconfirmed. The fire, which swept through the Samaria community of Havat Gilad, destroyed dozens of structures, as reported at 10:45 Jerusalem.
The Zioneer's report does not specify the content of the conflicting police accounts. It remains unclear whether the differing statements concern the cause of the fire, the circumstances of the arrest, or other aspects of the investigation. The identities of the suspects and the exact cause of the fire remain unconfirmed.
6 developments
- StrongPolice suspect arson in fire near Yitzhar, Samaria
- StrongExperts say fires in Judea and Samaria were not arson, one case likely from discarded cigarette
- DevelopingFarm owner's advocate claims police fabricated case in Samaria herd theft incident
- StrongExclusive: Border Police arrest two PA police officers for Samaria wildfire
Source and signal
- Internal intake