The officers opened fire and killed the assailant, originally from Qabatiya, who had tried to stab them with a knife. She had recently left Temple Mount. In Burqin, security forces killed an Islamic Jihad militiaman. On September 28 Jewish settlers attacked a Palestinian village, wounding a child.
Jerusalem (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Israeli police have shot and killed a Palestinian woman who, armed with a "sharp object" similar to a knife, tried to stab some officers in a street leading to the al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City in Jerusalem. Local sources report that around 6.30 am this morning they heard some gunshots and, shortly after, saw a female body lying on the ground, later covered with a sheet.
This is similar to the many episodes that took place in 2016, when Palestinians launched the so-called "intifada of knives" with repeated knife attacks against Israeli police. At the origin of the period's violence was a series of provocations by ultra-Orthodox Jews, who had gone to pray on Temple Mount, sparking protests by Muslims.
In a note on the attack, the Israeli police confirmed that they had "neutralised" the woman, who had tried to stab the officers with a "sharp object" (see photo). The security forces present "opened fire" in the direction of the assailant and "medical personnel who arrived on the scene" of the incident could only "note her death". The woman who carried out the attack, whose identity is currently unknown, was in her thirties, was originally from Qabatiya (a town in the north of the West Bank) and had recently left the Al-Aqsa Mosques - the third holiest place in Islam - to head towards the group of agents.
The assault with a knife is only the latest episode in a series of violent incidents that have occurred in the area in recent days: also this morning in the Palestinian village of Burqin, the police killed a "terrorist" who had opened fire in the direction of the agents. The security forces were in the area to conduct an operation that included "the arrest of suspects and the confiscation of weapons". During the operation, explains a note, "a terrorist fired towards the police forces" who responded "neutralising him". Palestinian Islamic Jihad said the victim was a member of the group's armed wing.
On 28 September, dozens of Jewish settlers attacked a village of Palestinian shepherds in the Occupied Territories, throwing stones at residents' homes and cars, injuring several people, including a young child. Some elements of the Israeli Security Forces were present at the time of the attack, but they did not intervene, leaving the field open for the Jewish extremists, who also slaughtered four sheep in the raid.
Finally, on 26 September in the West Bank, a shootout between Israeli agents and members of Hamas caused the death of five Palestinians. Two Israeli policemen were seriously wounded, probably by cross fire.