Five vehicles caught fire on Sunday night in the parking lot of a guest house in Vered Hagalil, and a preliminary police investigation raised suspicions of arson. No injuries were reported in the incident. The "Vered Hagalil Holiday Farm" expressed shock at the incident and said that "people got up in the morning and saw that they did not have vehicles." According to them, the accommodation complex continues to operate as usual.
"Like everyone who saw the Euro last night, we also went to bed late. Then suddenly, I heard booms - one after the other. It sounded like gunshots to me, and I got anxious and woke my husband," said Limor, a Rishon Lezion vacationer whose car was torched. "I felt that something was wrong, but we did not go out to check. This morning, when we went to the cars to go kayaking, we found them like that."
The case joins a series of recent cases as part of the phenomenon of collecting protection racket fees in the North, including the shooting at the Cafe Nimrod branch in the Agamon Hula shopping center last week.
Agricultural workers in the North, as well as business owners in other fields, suffer the phenomenon of extortion to pay protection racket fees. About two weeks ago, a branch of the BBB restaurant chain in Rosh Pina was threatened after bullets were placed at the entrance to the business. Police forces arrived at the scene following a complaint from the owners, about ammunition found near the front door and a window that cracked as a result of a blow.