Israeli security forces on Monday, January 18, hunted for a Palestinian suspect accused of breaking into a family’s home and stabbing an Israeli woman to death in the occupied West Bank.
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The 17-year-old Palestinian assailant was shot by security personnel and taken to hospital in severe condition after the attack in Tekoa south of Jerusalem.
In the later attack, the Palestinian slipped into the Otniel settlement, broke into the woman’s home and killed her before fleeing, the military said.
The European Union has unanimously adopted a tough resolution criticising Israeli settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories, despite fierce efforts by Israel to persuade some EU members to block it.
Palestinian officials say Israel’s continued expansion of settlements makes further talks with Mr Netanyahu pointless. Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam. It said in a statement: “Israel enforces the law against Israelis and Palestinians”.
Amid increasing violence in Palestine and Israel over the past few months through stabbing attacks and a major Israeli crackdown, European Union foreign ministers slammed Israeli policies.
The EU ministers said that “this does not constitute a boycott of Israel which the EU strongly opposes”.
“The ambassador’s statements, on the day when a mother of six who was murdered is buried, and on a day when a pregnant woman is stabbed – are unacceptable and wrong”.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro leveled some harsh criticism at the country during a security conference in Tel Aviv, saying that Israel has “two standards of adherence to the rule of law: one for Israelis and another for Palestinians”. It has been the scene of several deadly incidents since the spate of attacks by Palestinian assailants began in October.
At least 27 Palestinian civilians were kidnapped by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Monday in a mass-abduction sweep launched across provinces of the West Bank. Neighbours in the settlement of Otniel said they heard one of her daughters screaming for help.
“Whoever tries to harm us, we will bring him to justice”, the Israeli leader said.
The latest bloodshed occurred a few days after Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon declared that grassroots Palestinian violence was on the wane. He said Israel would “strengthen” the settlements in the aftermath of the attacks.
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Hundreds of Palestinians marched Sunday evening in the funeral of Wissam Qasrawi, 21, who was shot and killed in the northern occupied West Bank district of Nablus. Most of the others died during violent demonstrations.
