Alert: Israel- British Tourist Killed in Jerusalem (April 14, 2017)
April 14, 2017
A British woman was killed today in Jerusalem, while on a tram in Tsahal Square, which was packed with people celebrating Good Friday and Passover.
Two other people were injured in the knife attack. The suspect has been arrested.
The Washington Post reports:
A woman was fatally stabbed on Friday by an apparent Palestinian attacker just steps from Jerusalem’s Old City, where thousands of Jews and Christians gathered for religious holidays at one of the busiest times of the year, Israeli police said.
Thousands of people filled parts of the ancient city: Jews to celebrate Passover, which ends Sunday, and Christian pilgrims for Good Friday. The attack took place inside a carriage of the city’s light rail train not far from the entrance to the Old City’s Christian Quarter.
The woman was treated for stab wounds and later died in hospital, police said. She was not immediately identified, but local news outlets reported that she was a tourist from Britain.
Israel’s Shabak security agency named the suspected attacker as 57-year-old Jamal Tamimi from East Jerusalem, a mostly Arab area. They said he had mental health issues and had attempted suicide earlier this year while hospitalized. Tamimi was arrested at the scene, the report said.
According to the UK’s Independent:
Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the man attacked the woman, who is believed to be in her early 20s, as she travelled on the light rail near Jerusalem’s Old City.
She was rushed to Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center but died soon after arrival. Local media reports suggested she had been stabbed multiple times and that two others were slightly injured in the attack – including a pregnant woman.
The area was packed with people at the time of the attack as Christians gather to celebrate Good Friday and Jewish people gather to observe Passover.
The city has been on high alert during Holy Week after an increase in knife attacks by Palestinians.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me or the PR team know.
Best,
Hillary
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