Description

Photos:
Scene. Published by Maan News

Israeli border guards secure the scene of a reported stabbing attack carried out by a Palestinian woman at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, May 7, 2017. MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP. Published by Haaretz

Fatima Afif Abd al-Rahman Hjeiji, 16. Published by Haaretz

A knife [allegedly] found at the scene of the suspected stabbing attempt, May 7, 2017. Credit: Israel Police Published by Haaretz
_____

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- May 7, 2017, 8:55 pm
Israeli police forces shot and killed a teenaged Palestinian girl in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem early on Sunday evening after she allegedly attempted to carry out a stabbing attack, Israeli police said.

Israeli police spokeswoman Luba al-Samri said that the teenager was shot after she approached Israeli police officers stationed at the Damascus Gate entrance to the Old City while holding a knife.

Al-Samri later confirmed that she had been killed, identifying her as a 16-year-old Palestinian from the Ramallah district of the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health identified the girl as Fatima Afif Abd al-Rahman Hjeiji, 16, from the Ramallah-area village of Qarawat Bani Zeid.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said in a statement that no police officers had been injured in the alleged attack, adding that Israeli police had cordoned off the area and were investigating the incident.

According to Ma'an documentation, Hjeiji is the 20th Palestinian to have been killed by Israelis since the beginning of the year, seven of whom were minors. Seven Israelis have been killed by Palestinians during the same time period.

Though Israeli forces often claimed that Palestinians were allegedly attempting to carry out stabbing attacks when they were shot and killed, Palestinians and rights groups have disputed Israel's version of events in a number of cases.
_____

Palestinian Teen Shot Dead After Trying to Stab Cops in Jerusalem
Police say the 16-year-old Palestinian approached police officers tried to stab them

by Jack Khoury and Yotam Berger for Haaretz
May 07, 2017 7:02 PM

A Palestinian teenage girl was shot dead by policemen near Jerusalem's Old City after she tried to attack them with a knife. None of the policemen was hurt.

The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the attacker as Fatima Afif Hajiji, 16, of the village of Qarawat Bani Zeid north of Ramallah.
The stabbing attempt occurred at Damascus Gate.

A statement by the police said Hajiji "approached a police and Border Police force stationed at the site, drew a knife and tried to attack them while calling out 'Allah Akhbar.' The force acted determinedly and professionally and neutralized her.”

The police also published a picture of the knife she was holding. She was also carrying a letter, apparently a suicide note. The letter had verses from the Koran and was signed with the word “shahada,” or martyr.

Over the past two years there have been a number of incidents of “suicide by cop,” in which women seeking to end their lives run toward security personnel with a knife. A young Jewish man from Jerusalem’s Pisgat Ze’ev committed suicide in this fashion on Independence Day.