Dubai: A Palestinian teenager allegedly tried to stab an Israeli occupation soldier near the occupied Palestinian city of Hebron on Tuesday before being shot dead, regime officials said, the latest death in a flare-up of violence.
“An assailant armed with a knife attempted to stab an IDF (Israel Defence Force) soldier at a checkpoint at the entrance to (the village of) Bani Naim,” an Israeli army statement said.
“Responding to the immediate threat, forces fired at the assailant, resulting in his death.”
The Palestinian health ministry identified the alleged assailant as Eissa Tarayra, 16, from Bani Naim.
Israeli regime’s accounts of such killings have come under question lately as video evidence emerged more than once casting doubt over the Israeli version of events. In one case, a weapon appeared to be planted at the scene of the killing, and in another the Palestinian victim appeared to pose no threat to occupation soldiers, forcing the regime to revise its assessment of the events that led to the killing.
Tuesday’s incident was the ninth since Friday, coming after Palestinians wrapped up Eid Al Adha and as Israel tightened security ahead of major Jewish holidays in October.
The upsurge has shattered several weeks of relative calm.
The recent attacks have mostly taken place in and around Hebron in the occupied West Bank and in annexed East Jerusalem.
An Israeli occupation policewoman stabbed outside Jerusalem’s Old City on Monday was in serious condition in intensive care.
Following that attack, which also left another police officer with moderate wounds, Israeli authorities closed Palestinian shops in the area.
Regime police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the closures were ordered for officers to search the area, but some shop owners questioned whether it was punishment for the stabbing.
The assailant in that case was shot and seriously wounded. Surveillance video showed him approaching the officers from behind before stabbing them.
The Israeli army called the recent escalation “further testament to the ongoing influence of incitement on the Palestinian street and social media networks”.
An Israeli security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was the possibility of a “copycat effect” of one attack influencing another.
Since October, 230 Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, one Jordanian, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have been killed in ongoing violence, according to an AFP count.
Israel claims most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks. Others were shot dead during protests or killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza.
Many analysts say Palestinian frustration with the Israeli occupation and colony building in the West Bank, the complete lack of progress in peace efforts and their own fractured leadership have helped feed the unrest.
— With inputs from AFP
