Fire Kills at Least 14 at West Bank Factory

Palestinians and Jewish settlers came together in the West Bank city of Hebron in a rare show of cooperation to battle a raging fire in an illegal cigarette lighter factory that killed at least 14 workers. Associated Press reported that 16 Palestinian women died in the blaze, while Reuters news agency quoted a local hospital official as saying at least 13 women and one man were killed. A Palestinian fire truck was the first to respond. But Palestinian police quickly realized they didn’t have enough equipment and asked Israel for help. About 20 minutes later, a fire truck, paramedics and two ambulances from the nearby Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba arrived at the factory. “In such cases, there are no settlements, no walls,” said Yinon Yitzhaki, the head of the Kiryat Arba fire department.