Would-Be Attackers Shot Dead in West Bank and Near Jerus

A third Palestinian man was shot dead by the Israeli occupation forces yesterday after he stabbed to death a 21-year-old Israeli woman near the illegal Israeli settlement bloc of Gush Etzion.

On Thursday, a pair of stabbing and shooting attacks carried out by Palestinians killed three Israelis, a Palestinian and an American teenager in one of the deadliest days of the recent outburst.

Palestinian security officials confirmed the alleged attacker had died of her wounds and identified her as Asheraqat Qatanani from Askar refugee camp near Nablus. On that occasion, the woman was run over by an Israeli who had reportedly seen her attempting to stab an Israeli girl standing at a bus stop.

However, witnesses refuted Israeli allegations saying the settler opened fire on the taxi driver after the latter’s auto accidentally collided with the settlers’ vehicle.

A hospital spokeswoman said a 51-year-old Israeli was lightly injured when hit by the taxi. At least 16 Israelis have been killed in the same period.

IDF forces who responded to Sunday’s attack immediately shot and killed the suspected stabber, identified as Atzam Tuabata, a 34-year-old resident of Beit Fajar, near Bethlehem in the West Bank.

An Israeli man was reportedly also wounded by bullet shrapnel.

The assailant was shot dead at the scene, while the second victim was evacuated for medical treatment, said the army, which declined to provide more details about the deceased when asked by AFP.

On Sunday, Netanyahu said that the attackers were acting individually and with no organisation, thereby challenging the Israeli security organisation.

The unrest has spread across Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza border.

Last month, a U.S. State Department spokesman said that while Israel had a right and responsibility to protect its citizens, he cited reports “of what many would consider excessive use of force”. On Saturday, Israel demolished three homes in the West Bank belonging to attackers who killed an Israeli couple in front of their children in the West Bank on october 1. “She talked about stabbing to her brother the day before but no one took her seriously”.

Frustration by a new Palestinian generation at the failure to achieve statehood through negotiations – and anger at ongoing Israeli settlement expansion – are seen as an underlying cause of the violence.