Seven 12-year-old residents of Beit Shemesh have been questioned by police on suspicion of carrying out about 70 arson attacks in the Beit Shemesh area in the past year, together with children younger than them.
The minors would allegedly hide flammable materials near the places where they learned and during breaks or at the end of the school day, they allegedly set fire to groves and then waited and watched the firefighting operations. Not only was there considerable damage. In several cases, police and fire forces were forced to evacuate many occupants of buildings and educational institutions, due to the danger that was posed. Due to the young age of the minors, their parents were present at the questioning and they were released under restrictive conditions. Welfare officials were involved in the case.