TOKYO, August 3, 2015 (WAFA) – The Government of Japan expressed, in a statement on Monday, its shock over Jewish settlers’ arson attack against two homes in the Nablus village of Duma on July 31, which killed an 18-month-old infant and seriously injured his family.

Japan’s Foreign Press Secretary Yasuhisa Kawamura said Japan strongly condemns the ‘terrorist attack’, and called on the Israeli authorities to conduct an “urgent and transparent investigation and take appropriate measures to avoid recurrence of such a tragedy.”

“Japan calls on the parties concerned to exercise restraint to ensure that the incident will not lead to escalation of violence, and also calls on both sides to act positively to realize peace,” said the statement.

Japan further expressed its condolences to the family and prayed for early recovery of those injured.

The arson that took place on July 31, which was not the first to be committed by Israeli settlers, was vehemently condemned as a terrorist act by almost all the countries, including the United States and the Israeli government.

Though Israeli Prime Minister pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice, President Mahmoud Abbas questioned the Israeli government’s commitment to end violence, saying the Israeli government would have been able to stop settlers’ violence if it really wanted to do that.

Abbas announced that the Palestinian leadership would prepare a file on the Duma crime and submit it to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

He said, “What happened in Duma is added to a record of crimes committed by the settlers and the Israeli government, because it sponsors settlement activities and encourages settlers’ actions.”

M.N./T.R.