Police arrested two Arab youth in the village of Katanna in connection with the
fire two weeks ago near Ma'aleh Hahamisha. The two suspects have criminal
backgrounds.
During the course of the investigation they admitted to setting the
fire and confessed to being involved in 10 other security incidents
including other fires and stone throwing incidents that they carried out with
the intent of destroying property and harming Israel.
Police do not believe they
are associated with any known terror group. The fire two weeks ago which burned
a total of 100 Dunams was believed to have been started by perpetrators throwing
some kind of flammable material near Ma'aleh Hahamisha.
Additional fires that
broke out the same day at the entrance and near Mevaseret Zion are not believed
to have been connected to this incident and could have been the result of negligence.