Father Of Palestinian Toddler Killed in Arson Attack Has Died

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The father of an 18-month-old Palestinian child who was burnt to death following an arson attack by Jewish extremists in the West Bank, has died after sustaining severe burns.

The attack, which happened on the morning of July 31, saw unidentified Israeli assailants hurl a Molotov cocktail into a window of Saad Dawabsheh’s home. His 18-month-old son, Ali Dawabsheh was killed in the blaze, while his other son, 4, and his wife were seriously injured.

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The Independent reports: The father of two sustained second degree burns to 80 per cent of his body and perished in Israeli Soroka Medical Centre at around 4.30am on Saturday morning, according to a hospital spokesperson.

“Everybody is sad, sadness has settled on the village,” Duma resident Mohammed Dawabsheh told the New York Times. He added that his neighbour’s body would be laid to rest on Saturday.

Mr Dawabsha’s 27-year-old wife Reham remains in critical condition in Tel Hasomer hospital after sustaining 90 per cent burns to her body in the attack.

In a lone piece of good news, his four-year-old son Ahmad – who received burns to 60 per cent of his body – briefly woke up and communicated to gathered family praying for his recovery.

“We went to his room and he recognized us. He couldn’t talk, but we could see he recognises us,” Ahmad’s grandfather, Hussein Dawabsha, told Israeli newspaper Ynet on Friday.

Anger remains over the attack, one of the worst in a summer just a year on from the last spate of sustained violence, with international attention once again focussed on Israel.

Mr Dawabsha’s brother Nasser urged Israeli authorities to act. “Israel must arrest the settlers who perpetrated this murder and bring them to justice,” he told Ynet.