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Seven Israeli suspects have been formally charged for an arson attack in October against a Palestinian-owned bicycle store in Tayibe, an Arab city in central Israel, reported The Times of Israel.
The Israel Police and Shin Bet security service issued a joint statement confirming that, in the early hours of 14 October, the bicycle shop owned by Alaa Amara was both looted and set ablaze after he had donated around 50 bicycles to children, who were evacuated from Gaza border settlements following the cross-border attack by the Palestinian Resistance group, Hamas, on 7 October,
The police investigation into the attack determined it to have been “carried out on an ideological-nationalistic basis,” according to the statement, adding that in the case of one of the suspects, the arson is being treated as “an act of terrorism”.
Moreover, charges brought against the Israeli suspects include breaking and entering, theft, possessing, carrying and firing a weapon and desecrating a flag.
Following the burning down of his bicycle shop, Alaa told the Israeli Walla news website that he had noticed the children had little to occupy themselves with in the initial days of the conflict and, therefore, provided them with bicycles at no cost.
“I did it to benefit the children. They don’t know about war,” he said.
Just two days later, his shop was raided and looted around 2 am, before being deliberately set on fire.
“They were armed and shot out the cameras. Some wore masks; the damage is estimated to be hundreds of thousands of shekels,” Alaa’s wife told Walla after the attack.
Although no injuries occurred during the incident, Alaa was informed that the Israeli suspects had attempted to lure him into the store with the intention of launching an attack, reported The Times of Israel. “They wanted to lynch me,” he said.