Police rule out arson in explosive claim that Jews set fire to Arab home in southern Hebron Hills.

Palestinian media outlets reported that settlers set fire to a home in Khillet al-Farra, in the South Hebron Hills, overnight. In a video obtained by The Times of Israel, the homeowner, Ila Nuwaja'a, said settlers arrived in the middle of the night, opened a window of the house, identified her by name, and told her to go to Susiya, another South Hebron Hills community, before throwing something through the window that rapidly set the house ablaze.

The Israel Police Spokesperson's Unit said that, contrary to the claim of deliberate arson, a fire investigator from the Judea and Samaria Fire and Rescue Service and forensic investigators from the Judea District Police determined that the fire started due to an electrical fault (short circuit). The statement says a report was received that morning regarding an alleged arson of a Palestinian residential structure near Beit Amra, with no casualties; police forces from the Hebron station, together with the district's forensic investigator and a fire investigator from the Judea and Samaria Fire and Rescue Service, entered the area under IDF security to investigate. After collecting extensive findings at the scene, fire and forensic investigators determined an electrical short circuit caused the fire, and found no remnants of any accelerant — directly contradicting local residents' claim that several Israelis arrived at the location the previous night and were behind the fire. Police said the investigation continues.

Sophia Tupolev noted that the Times of Israel's liveblog article, originally headlined "Report: Settlers set fire to home in southern West Bank overnight; no injuries," was later updated with a line stating Israel Police said forensic investigators determined the fire broke out due to an electrical failure, not arson — but the outlet left its original headline unchanged.