News
Israeli border police officer critically wounded in Hebron car ramming
A Palestinian man rammed a car into Israeli border policemen yesterday just north of Hebron in the latest attack in the area.
The attack took place at the Halhoul Junction on Route 60. The Palestinian motorist, later identified as 23-year-old Ibrahim Saqafi from Hebron, reportedly swerved suddenly and struck two border policemen. One was unscathed but the other suffered multisystem trauma and was rushed to a Jerusalem hospital in serious condition. Saqafi was shot and killed by Israeli officers at the scene.
It was the latest in almost daily attacks in the Hebron area during the last two weeks. Several Israeli soldiers and policemen have been stabbed in Hebron itself while another car ramming incident took place last week at the nearby Beit Ainun Junction. Although Hebron has become the focus of the month-long wave of violence, Jerusalem has seen numerous attacks with stabbings also perpetrated in central cities including Rishon Le Zion, Netanya, Beit Shemesh and Ra’anana. In total 12 Israelis have been killed in the violence.
Jerusalem police announced yesterday that temporary roadblocks recently erected at the entrance to some Arab neighbourhoods in the city would be removed following a lull in unrest in these areas.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Permanent Observer to the United Nations (UN) Riyad Mansour submitted a formal complaint alleging that Israel returns the bodies of terrorists, having first harvested their organs. Mansour said in relation to the current violence, “It has been reported that the bodies were returned with missing corneas and other organs, further confirming past reports about organ harvesting by the occupying power from the Palestinian victims of its brutality.”
In response, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon called the allegation a “blood libel” and urged the UN “to repudiate this sinister accusation and to condemn the ongoing incitement by Palestinian leaders.” Israeli leaders have repeatedly complained that incendiary rhetoric and baseless accusations by Palestinian leaders is stoking violence.