Two Palestinians from the northern West Bank village of Awarta have confessed to murdering five members of a Jewish settler family last month, Israeli media reported.
A gag order had been imposed on the investigation, but was lifted Sunday, dpa reported.
Hakim Mazen Awad, 18, a high school student, and Ahmed Mohammed Awad, 19, a college student, confessed to the murder and re-enacted it, saying they had wanted to carry out a militant attack, the Israeli military and Shin Bet internal security organization said.
The two had been active for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
On the night of March 11, the two walked about 2 kilometres from their village of Awarta to the Jewish settlement of Itamar, climbed the security fence and jumped over it.
Both the village and the settlement are located south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus.
They allegedly first stole a semi-automatic weapon from an empty neighbouring house, then entered the house of the Fogel family, first stabbing to death two boys, aged 11 and four, said the reports.
They then entered the master bedroom, where they found the parents. A struggle ensued, ending when the assailants allegedly used the stolen rifle to shoot the Fogels.
They then left the house, but when they saw a patrol car and heard a baby cry, went inside again and killed the Fogel family's three- month-old daughter Hadas, so her cries would not give them away.
They failed to notice two more sons, aged eight and two, who survived. The family's eldest daughter later came home to find them.
Israeli soldiers have since held persistent arrest raids in Awarta, rounding up villagers for questioning and taking saliva for DNA-testing.
The two accused were arrested on April 10 and April 5.
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