Israel Arrests Four Jews over Anti-Palestinian Vandalism

Four Jewish Israelis have been arrested for alleged anti-Palestinian vandalism in the occupied West Bank, Israeli police said Tuesday.

The four suspects, including two teenagers aged 16 and 17, are suspected of having targeted Palestinian property for political reasons, though further details on the alleged crimes were not released.

According to army radio, an Israeli soldier from an elite unit has also been arrested as part of the same investigation. Police did not confirm the soldier's arrest.

Jewish extremists have been blamed in the past for vandalism and violence targeting Palestinians, Christian holy sites and even Israeli military property.

A number of Jewish extremists have been arrested since the firebombing of a Palestinian home in July 2015 that killed an 18-month-old along with his mother and father.

In January, a court charged two Israelis over the arson attack in the West Bank village of Duma after slow progress in the case led to criticism from human rights groups and Palestinians.

A small number of other Jewish extremists have been placed in administrative detention, which allows suspects to be held without trial, renewable every six months. Israel usually employs such measures against Palestinian suspects.

The Duma attack generated global condemnation and drew renewed attention to Jewish extremism, including accusations that Israel had not done enough to prevent such violence.