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The scene of the attempted stabbing attack outside the West Bank settlement of Anatot, Jan. 23 2016. Credit: Israel Police spokesperson
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JERUSALEM (Ma’an) -- A 13-year-old Palestinian was shot dead Saturday after reportedly attempting to stab an Israeli security guard outside of an illegal West Bank settlement northeast of Jerusalem, Israeli police said.

Israeli police spokesperson Luba al-Samri said the girl approached a gate leading into the Anatot settlement, also known as Almon, and attempted to stab a security guard.

The guard immediately fired gunshots at the 13-year-old, injuring her critically, al-Samri said. The child died on site shortly after.

Samri said initial reports into the incident suggested that the teenager had been in a quarrel with members of her family in the Palestinian village of Anata, west of the Anatot settlement, before leaving home with a knife in order to carry out a stabbing attack.
The father arrived to the scene shortly after the attack in search of his daughter before being detained and taken to a police station in Maale Adumim for questioning, al-Samri added.

The head of Anata's village council,Taha Nuaman, identified the girl as Ruqayya Eid Abu Eid. He said the girl's family lives in Anata but is originally from the city of Yatta south of Hebron.

The reported attack outside of the illegal Anatot settlement is the most recent to take place amid an ongoing wave of unrest in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Last week a 15-year-old Palestinian, also from Yatta, was detained for being suspected of stabbing and killing an Israeli settler in the illegal settlement of Otneil, one day before another settler was stabbed and injured by a Palestinian in the illegal settlement of Tekoa.

The death of the 36-year-old mother in the Otneil settlement brought condemnation from Israeli leadership and UN officials, who called on Palestinian and Israeli leadership to stop incitement.

Over 20 Israelis have been killed in attacks carried out by Palestinian individuals since Oct. 1. More than 160 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military forces or settlers in the same time period, at least 30 of whom were under the age of 18.

Last week’s incidents inside of Israeli settlements and Saturday’s alleged attack at the Anatot settlement come after the majority of attacks to take place this month were carried out on military personnel near checkpoints.

The Israeli army following last week’s attacks banned all Palestinian laborers from entering illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, preventing work for an estimated 11,000 Palestinians.

The ban was one of several measures since violence increased in October to be implemented by the Israeli army on Palestinian communities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including road closures, sealing off movement in and out of villages and towns, and arrest campaigns.reported.

Israeli army Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot said Monday that “it would be a bitter mistake to impose curfews and closures” on Palestinian communities, adding that such moves would “work against Israeli interests.”

While “security measures” have been eased over the past month according to documentation by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, many closures and restrictions on movement remain in place, particularly in the Hebron district.
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by Chaim Levinson for Haaretz

An Israeli security guard shot dead a knife-wielding 13-year-old Palestinian girl on Saturday outside the West Bank settlement of Anatot, also known as Almon, police said.

The incident occurred at approximately 8 A.M., when initial reports said that the girl ran toward the security guard with a knife. The guard shot her, and paramedics pronounced her death shortly after.

Police spokesperson Luba Samri said initial investigations suggested that the girl had fought with her family before leaving home with a knife. Her father was detained for questioning at the Ma'aleh Adumim police station.

Head of the local Palestinian village identified the girl as Rokya Abu Eid, originally from the Yatta refugee camp near Hebron, now from the village Anata.

According to her family, the 13-year-old left the tent in which the family lives, "usually she walks to the farm where her father works," her mother said. "I thought she was going in his direction, I just cannot believe she tried to stab, and even if she did we are talking about a 13-year-old, how could she stab and harm soldiers," her mom said in tears.

The girl's body was handed over to Palestinian medical services, which transferred her remains to a hospital in Hebron. Her funeral will take place Sunday in her village of Anata.

MK Esawi Freige (Meretz), condemned the shooting of the Palestinian girl saying: "Even if she had a knife, it would have been possible to arrest a girl that age instead of killing her. Instead of attacking the Swedish foreign minister and claiming that her comments are detached from reality, Netanyahu should check what's happening in his country and how children are being killed without a trial."

Freige was referring to recent accusations by Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström that Israel has been conducting "extra-judicial killings" of Palestinians during the current wave of violent attacks, now some four months old.

On Thursday, Interior Minister Ayre Dery decided to revoke the permanent resident status of four East Jerusalem Palestinians who were charged with carrying out terror attacks, the first such action taken by the government in the current wave of violence.