Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alonYonatan Sindel/Flash90

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon addressed the investigation of the Duma arson attack Tuesday, admitting that the State does not have enough evidence against the defendants to prosecute them. 

The three suspects - two minors and an adult - are currently being held under administrative detention, which allows terror suspects to be held indefinitely without trial. The suspects' family members and lawyers have harshly criticized their continued detention despite repeated admissions by authorities that they do not have enough evidence to tie them to the crime.

"This is clearly a Jewish terror attack and I am ashamed of it," Ya'alon said to Army Radio. "We know who the members of the group who carried out the attack are, but there is not enough evidence against them" to try them.

The revelation follows a similar admission from Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud) two weeks ago that there is no evidence to try the suspects.

On Monday, the Attorney General's Office admitted to the Knesset's Law and Justice Committee for the first time that it approved unusual punishments against the suspects, including taking more than 48 hours to bring the prisoners before a judge and extending their sentences without the prisoners being present.

The AGO did not publicly admit to allegations from the Honenu legal rights organization that the suspects have also been refused basic religious rights such as lighting Hanukkah candles, been banned from seeing their lawyers or family, and that at least one has been denied medical treatment after being beaten during arrest.