[JURIST] Israel on Sunday sentenced two alleged Jewish extremists to six months in prison without formal charges. The arrests [Guardian report] are part of a crackdown on Jewish extremists and come after an arson attack [JURIST report] on a Palestinian home that killed a child and injured the child’s parents. Israeli authorities stated that the act was “Jewish terrorism” and that intense measures to combat such attacks and extremism must be taken. The practice is called “administrative detention,” and suspects may be held for lengthy periods of time without charging them. It is typically used by the country on Palestinian suspects and rarely on Jewish ones. The two men, Meir Ettinger and Eviatar Slonim, were arrested for their suspected affiliation with an extremist Jewish organization, and not specifically for involvement in the arson attack.

The Israel-Palestine conflict [HRW backgrounder] continues to be a significant international legal issue. Last week The Israel Defense Ministry jailed [JURIST report] an Israeli extremist for sixth months with no charges or formal trial. Also earlier this month Amnesty International (AI) released a report [JURIST report] that points to evidence of war crimes committed by Israel in the August 2014 retaliation for the capture of an Israeli soldier by Hamas [BBC backgrounder]. The attacks led to 135 Palestinian civilian deaths, including 75 children. In June Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said that he had presented documents [JURIST report] to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to assist in the investigation of alleged Israeli war crimes. Also in June a report released [JURIST report] by the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza Conflict found that both Israel and Hamas may have committed war crimes during the conflict. In May AI accused [JURIST report] Hamas forces of leading a series of abductions, torturous acts and unlawful killings against Palestinians.