The toddler, who died when his house was burned down by suspected Jewish settlers, was laid to rest earlier Friday.
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Hundreds of Israelis gathered in a Tel Aviv square Saturday night to condemn the arson attack and show solidarity with the Palestinian family.
“This risky escalation of Israeli terrorism proves the correctness of the Palestinian decision to join the ICC”, the Palestinian leadership said in a statement.
The US State Department condemned the “vicious terrorist attack” in “the strongest possible terms”, urging Israel to “apprehend the murderers” and calling on both sides to “avoid escalating tensions”.
Friday’s incident is believed to be a “price tag” attack – carried out by extremist settlers against Palestinian residents of the West Bank in retaliation to Israeli government’s actions against illegal settlements. But it’s hard to take those condemnations seriously when the UN has failed in its responsibilities to admonish Israel for its litany of brutality and oppression of Palestinians for so long. The word “Revenge!” was spray-painted in Hebrew on a wall nearby next to a Star of David.
Renowned British politician George Galloway has accused the media of ignoring the death of a Palestinian toddler, who was burnt alive by Israeli settlers, paying more attention to the death of Cecil the lion. They blamed Israel for the most recent attack.
Critics say police have been slow to apprehend the Jewish assailants and Palestinians say the military has failed to protect them from attacks by militant Jewish settlers in the West Bank.
Global law views East Jerusalem and the West Bank as occupied territories and deems any construction of Israeli settlements on the land to be illegal.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he would submit the attack as evidence to the worldwide Criminal Court.
Prime Minister Benjamin “Netanyahu expressed his condolences, however we ask the Israeli military and the protection minister to convey safety to the household, to the village of Duma and all Palestinian villages”, Dawabshe stated.
Meanwhile, clashes broke out between Palestinian youths and soldiers in Jalazone refugee camp near Ramallah after the funeral of a 17-year-old, Laith Khaldi, who died after being shot by troops late Friday during protests over the toddler’s death.
“I never imagined that this could happen, that someone could come and burn people alive while they are sleeping”, said Hassan Dawabsheh, the slain child’s uncle.
Dozens of Palestinians were injured across the West Bank in Friday’s clashes.
Israel forces fired a second round of fire after they said five Palestinians threw stones at the border fence.
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The attack could push the issue to a higher level of Israeli concern.
