Palestinian shot dead after 'attempted stabbing' in Jerusalem
Palestinian shot dead after 'attempted stabbing' in Jerusalem
A Palestinian was shot dead by police outside Jerusalem's Old City on Tuesday after an alleged attempted stabbing attack.
1 min read
A wave of Palestinian knife attacks against Israelis broke out in 2015 [Getty]
A Palestinian was shot dead by police outside Jerusalem's Old City on Tuesday after an alleged attempted stabbing attack, Israeli and Palestinian officials said.
Israeli police reported "an attempted stabbing attack" near Damascus Gate and that "a police unit at the spot neutralised the suspect".
The Palestinian health ministry said it had been informed of the death of a civilian by gunshots.
The alleged attempted attack took place as the fasting holiday of Yom Kippur, the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar, was starting, with thousands of Jews attending prayers in the Old City.
AFP journalists at the site saw what appeared to be a body covered with a sheet at the scene, with access from Damascus Gate blocked and Palestinians watching from nearby shops.
There was a heavy police presence.
Palestinian witnesses told AFP the alleged attacker was not trying to stab anyone, rather "defending himself" from a Jewish civilian.
A wave of Palestinian knife attacks against Israelis broke out in 2015, but they have since become sporadic.
On Sunday, a young Palestinian fatally stabbed an Israeli-American man near the entrance to a mall in the occupied West Bank before being shot and wounded.
Follow us on Twitter: @The_NewArab
More In News
