Israeli army search for killer of five

Military are seeking murderer of a family of five, with two other children injured The Israeli military are searching for the killer of five people murdered in a Jewish West Bank settlement early on Saturday, a military spokeswoman said. Israeli media is reporting that the dead are all members of the same family – parents and three children. The victims – including an 11-year-old, a 3-year-old and an infant – were all stabbed in their sleep. The military says it is sweeping the area in search of the perpetrator and has set up checkpoints throughout the West Bank. It has instructed all residents to stay in their homes during the extensive sweeps. The military blocked the entrance to the northern West Bank settlement of Itamar, as soldiers poured inside and a pair of ambulances departed. The overnight attack is the first attack against settlers in months and the first of its kind and scope in years. It marks a rare outburst of violence during a relatively calm period. It also comes as Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts are at a standstill and seems likely to complicate efforts to restart them. Itamar is home to some of the West Bank’s most fervent settlers. The attack took place in the middle of the night, on the Jewish Sabbath. The attack was reminiscent of a similar one in Itamar in June 2002, during the height of the violent Palestinian uprising, when a gunman burst into the home of a family and opened fire. Another two children were seriously injured. Israel Middle East Palestinian territories guardian.co.uk

Posted by on March 12, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.