An Israeli family was brutally murdered early Saturday morning in the West Bank settlement of Itamar. Three of the family’s six children and the parents were stabbed to death while they slept. The dead children were aged 11, 4, and 4 months, according to Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Itamar, north of Tel Aviv, is a settlement of 1,000 residents, founded in 1984.
Palestinian leader Abbas issued a weakly worded condemnation of violence that disappointed Netanyahu.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said he expects other world leaders to thoroughly condemn this horrific crime.
The United States, through Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, condemned “this appalling attack in the strongest possible terms.”
Secretary Clinton said she was “shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the brutal murder of an Israeli family early Saturday morning in the West Bank.”
Clinton also said “This is an inhuman crime for which there can be no justification. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the victims and with all the people of Israel.”
Israeli security forces launched a thorough investigation, and Secretary Clinton said the US looks to the Palestinian authorities to assist in every way possible.