Palestinian women shot, dies in attack on Israeli soldiers

In a sign of the increasingly tense situation, Israeli forces shot a Palestinian attacker on Tuesday after she tried to stab a soldier at a West Bank checkpoint.

The worst was when they scrutinized my mother, sometimes nitpicking over a few strands of hair sticking out from under her headscarf, or insisting that she be separated from me and my father during prayer, even when the mosques were nearly empty.

Hadeel al-Hashlamon, a university student, was photographed appearing to confront soldiers minutes before she was shot on Tuesday morning.

Palestinian security officials however said he was shot dead by Israeli troops and named him as Dia al-Talahmeh, 21.

Tensions have been running high in the West Bank and Jerusalem in the past week with a number of clashes erupting after groups of Jewish settlers forced their way into Muslim holy sites, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex.

The police have deployed an additional 800 officers in Jerusalem, redefined the areas of command in East Jerusalem and approved the allocation of undercover units that, until now, have worked nearly exclusively with the army in the West Bank.

Police said security will be beefed up during the 25-hour fast, which comes two days ahead of the Muslim Eid Al Adha holiday.

The Palestinian unity government on Tuesday accused that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks on maintaining the status quo at the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem is fallacious.

The army said that the young woman was treated on site by Israeli medics and then taken to hospital.

On the evening of Monday September 14, Alex Levlovich was driving back from the Rosh-Hashana Seder, the celebration of the Jewish new year, along the road that separates the Jewish neighbourhood of Armon Hanatziv and the Palestinian neighbourhood of Tsur Bahir in East Jerusalem when the window of his auto was smashed by a stone.

The Israeli restrictions severely restricted Palestinian access to the Mosque compound.

The al-Aqsa Mosque is Islam’s third holiest site after Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, Saudi Arabia.

Clashes broke out during the raids, with protesters throwing fireworks, stones and other objects at police, who fired stun grenades.

Muslims have been alarmed by an increase in visits by Jews to the site and fear rules governing the compound will be changed.

“The Zionist regime’s crimes in Palestine and repeated insult of the sacred sanctuary of the Al-Aqsa Mosque… are the foremost problem for Muslims”, Khamenei said, reported World Bulletin.

Netanyahu’s office said last week that Israel was committed to maintaining the status quo and that Palestinian “rioters” would not be allowed to prevent Jews visiting the area.

Police have reportedly flown a helicopter and a surveillance blimp over the Old City of Jerusalem.

In fact, 65% of Palestinians want Abbas, who replaced Arafat as president of the PA and has remained ever since, to resign, though 83% support Abbas’ much touted policy of seeking recognition for a Palestinian state in worldwide organizations, such as the global Criminal Court.