18-year-old Palestinian Shot Dead after Stabbing Israeli Soldier in Hebron

Hebron, 5 Jumadil Awwal 1437/14 February 2016 (MINA)  –  A young Palestinian woman was shot dead on Saturday after stabbing an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian bystander near the Ibrahimi Mosque in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.

A witness told Ma’an that the young woman stabbed and lightly injured a soldier at a checkpoint near the mosque before she was shot by Israeli forces stationed on site, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) reported, quoting Ma’an.

An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed the attack to Ma’an, saying that “an assailant drew a knife on a soldier guarding the Tomb of Patriarchs,” referring to the Ibrahimi Mosque.

A Palestinian at the site of the attack was also stabbed by the young woman under circumstances that remain unclear.

A witness told Ma’an that a Palestinian attempted to grab the young woman after she stabbed the soldier, in what the witness believed to be an attempt to protect the woman from getting shot.

The woman then stabbed the man in the waist after he grabbed her, the witnesses said, adding that he believed the young woman may have mistaken the man for an Israeli settler.

The Israeli army for their part said: “During an attempt to stab the soldier, the attacker stabbed a Palestinian who tried to intervene,” confirming that the soldier had been lightly wounded.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health identified the Palestinian killed as Kilzar Muhammad Abd al-Halim Azmi al-Eweiei, from Hebron city. Relatives told Ma’an the teen was 18 years old. Her body was handed over by the Israeli authorities hours after she was killed.

The injured bystander was identified as 52-year-old Abed al-Rajabi, who was transferred to the Shaare Zedek Medical Center for treatment. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)