Israeli PM pledges support for settlements after eviction

Ramallah, Jan. 24 (BNA): A thirteen-year-old Palestinian girl was shot dead following an alleged stabbing attempt outside an Illegal Israeli settlement to the northeast of Jerusalem, said a municipal source.

Holding a knife, she ran toward the security guard at the entrance to Anatot settlement and he opened fire on her, Samri said.

The girl was identified by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa as Ruqayya Eid Abu Eid, a resident of the Palestinian village of Anata.

The girl’s father arrived shortly after and was detained for questioning.

Speaking to Arabic-language media, the child’s mother cast doubt on the claim that she tried to stab the security guard.

Protests against Israel’s ongoing occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip boiled over into violence in recent months.

On Friday, Israeli security forces evicted dozens of Jewish settlers from two homes in the heart of the West Bank city of Hebron a day after they occupied them.

Palestinian teenagers have carried out numerous stabbings or attempted stabbings, and in one case an assailant was as young as 12. The buildings will remain shut until the courts determine who owns them, he said.

His comments on Sunday came at a time of sharp criticism internationally on Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank, including from the United States and European Union.

Undeterred by a near unanimous worldwide condemnation of its hostile actions, the far right Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu is continuing its assaults on the Palestinian people and is deliberately making the conditions for a two-state solution impossible.

The Palestinian analyst also said after the failure of the U.S.-sponsored peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, “the worldwide community is not interested in achieving peace on the ground and unable to oblige Israel to be committed to it”.

According to reports, Israeli forces prevented medical staff from reaching the area to treat the boy who finally succumbed to his wounds there. “I won’t allow anyone to drag me into a battle not of my choice, I do not want a military battle”, Abbas said.