Israeli Settler Arrested on Suspicion of Involvement in Stabbing Death of Palestinian

A West Bank settler was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of involvement in the stabbing death of a Palestinian man. The victim, Ali Hassan Harb, 27, was stabbed to death on Tuesday near the settlement of Ariel. An Israeli court has issued a gag order on most details of the case. The Palestinian Health Ministry said on Tuesday that Harb had been stabbed fatally in the heart during an altercation with Jewish settlers near Harb’s residence in the village of Iskaka, about 2 kilometers east of Ariel. The Jews were allegedly trying to erect an illegal outpost on land claimed by Harb’s family. Harb’s cousin was quoted in the Israeli press as saying that after he was stabbed, Israeli soldiers delayed his evacuation for half an hour and that when family members finally were able to bring him to a hospital, he could not be saved. The Israeli human rights group Yesh Din said after the incident that “settler violence is on the rise and the military is standing by idly. After dozens of attacks in May-June, the tragic news arrived today. We call on the minister of defense to intervene urgently and prevent the next disaster.” Some 450,000 Jews live in West Bank settlements among some 2.7 million Palestinians, according to Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now.