PALESTINE: The parents and brother of a Palestinian toddler burned to death by suspected Jewish extremists were fighting for their lives Saturday, as Israelis held protests against hate crimes.
The firebombing of the family's home in the occupied West Bank that killed 18-month-old Ali Saad Dawabsha sparked an international outcry over Israel's failure to curb violence by hardline Jewish settlers.
The child's father, Saad, was being treated for third-degree burns at the Soroka hospital in southern Israel, where a spokeswoman described his condition as "critical".
Mother Riham and four-year-old brother Ahmed were at Tel Hashomer hospital near Tel Aviv, where a spokeswoman described their condition as life-threatening.
The family's small brick and cement home in the village of Duma was gutted by fire, and a Jewish Star of David spray-painted on a wall along with the words "revenge" and "long live the Messiah".
That was indicative of so-called "price tag" violence -- a euphemism for nationalist-motivated hate crimes by Jewish extremists.
The arson attack early Friday followed days of tensions over West Bank settlements, with right-wing groups opposing the demolition of two buildings under construction that the Israeli High Court said were illegal.
The demolitions began Wednesday, but Netanyahu just hours later authorised the immediate construction of 300 settler homes in the same area, angering Palestinians. AFP
