Drone Footage Captures Palestinian Woman Setting Fires Near Ma'ale Tever in Gush Etzion

A drone operated by the security coordinator of Ma'ale Tever, a hilltop community in the Gush Etzion bloc, recorded a Palestinian woman emerging from the nearby village of Sa'ir and deliberately igniting multiple fires in dry vegetation close to the settlement. The drone footage showed the woman using a burning rag to set several fire points, throwing dry thorns into the flames to intensify them and spread the fire toward the community under windy conditions. Upon realizing she was being filmed, the woman fled back to Sa'ir.

Residents quickly responded by alerting security forces and extinguishing the fires before they could spread and cause significant damage. No arrests have been reported so far. The drone used for the operation was recently donated to the community as part of a thermal drone initiative aimed at preventing such attacks.

The "Front Hills" organization, which represents several hilltop communities in Judea and Samaria, emphasized the critical role of the drone footage in proving the fires were intentionally set, countering any claims that the incidents were accidental. They highlighted the ongoing threat of arson terrorism, noting a recent fire in the nearby settlement of Havat Gilad that nearly resulted in casualties. The group called on Israeli security forces to treat the arson threat with utmost seriousness to protect residents in the region.