Child stabbed in West Bank arson, Israeli settlers retaliate

September 13, 2008 A series of clashes in the West Bank have left several injured, following an arsonist's targeting of the Israeli settlement of Yitzhar.

An unknown Palestinian man began setting fire to several buildings in the village, when a 9-year old child saw him and started shouting. The man stabbed the child, causing only light injury, but sparking retribution from hundreds of Israeli villagers who attacked the Palestinian village of Assira Kubilyeh, smashing windows, shooting erractically and overturning a vehicle.

The child was taken to an Israeli hospital with light injuries.

The military reports that they had worked to remove the settlers from the village, imposed a curfew and confiscated weapons from two Israeli villagers. Palestinian sources report six injuries while the security forces reported four.

In recent days the area, a part of the Shomron district, registered a number of incidents, where on a number of occasions villagers from both Yitzhar and Shalhevet accused Palestinians of coming to their area and burning fields. On the opposite, Palestinians had claimed that villagers caused damage to plantations and property, and attacked farmers.