6 suspected Huwara rioters arrested – police

Police say Shin Bet helped investigation to track down Israelis who set cars and homes ablaze in hostile PA-administered town.

By World Israel News Staff

Six Israelis suspected of participating in the rioting in Huwara were detained by security forces early Wednesday morning, police said in a statement.

The detainees, two of whom are minors, are being held on suspicion that they vandalized property, set cars and homes ablaze, and attacked Palestinians in the PA-administered town.

As of Wednesday morning, the six suspects are being questioned by authorities and are expected to be brought later in the day to the criminal court in Jerusalem for a preliminary hearing.

“The investigation continues, and more arrests are expected,” said the police statement, which added that the Shin Bet security agency had been involved in the investigation.

Eight Israelis who were arrested on Tuesday in connection to the Huwara riots were released, with three of them under restrictive conditions, including house arrest.

The rampage in Huwara occurred after a deadly terror attack, which saw two Israeli brothers murdered by a Palestinian gunman while they drove through the town.

The perpetrator of the attack has not yet been apprehended.

Shortly after the deadly shooting, Palestinians in Huwara and the nearby town of Nablus, both hotbeds of terror, celebrated the murders by distributing sweets.

Several hours later, settlers from nearby Jewish communities torched cars and property in Huwara. One Palestinian was reported to have been killed in the clashes, although it’s unclear if he was shot by settlers or by Israeli security forces.

The rioting in Huwara was widely condemned by politicians across the political spectrum and the military leadership. IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi pledged to “thoroughly investigate” the riots, categorizing the incident as “grave events of lawlessness.”

Less than a day after the rioting, Palestinian gunmen shot at three cars traveling near the Dead Sea, fatally wounding an American-Israeli visiting the country for a wedding.

The terrorists fled towards the PA-administered city of Jericho, and like the Huwara terrorist, they have not yet been arrested.