Palestinian 'Attacker Girl' Killed by Israeli Soldiers

As the security crisis continues in Israel, on Monday, November 9, another Palestinian girl who approached Israelis with a knife was shot and killed. This attack occurred at 7 AM at a checkpoint in the West Bank where Palestinian vehicles and individuals are inspected before entering Israel. No Israelis were injured. Israeli media reported that in the bag of this 23-year-old girl named 'Rasha Owaisi', from the city of Qalqilya in the West Bank, a 'will' for being killed for her homeland was found. This girl's 'will' is a short letter to her mother stating that she has 'consciously chosen her path' and apologized to her family and fiancé for ending her life this way. On Sunday, seven Israelis were injured in attacks by Palestinians with knives and vehicle ramming, and two Palestinian attackers were killed. On Sunday, a 22-year-old Palestinian man drove a car at high speed into Israelis standing at a bus station, injuring five people; one of the injured is reported to be in very critical condition, and a 26-year-old pregnant woman is among the wounded. Additionally, on that day, a 48-year-old Israeli man was severely injured in the stomach by two young Palestinians who approached him with knives while he was shopping at a Palestinian store on the Nabi Elias road in the West Bank; the attackers fled. Videos from a guard post at one of the entrances to the Jewish settlement of 'Beitar Illit' showed a 22-year-old veiled Palestinian girl who, after showing her ID to the guard, pulled a knife from a bag that was already unzipped and attacked the guard; this girl was killed. Israeli media reported that a 19-year-old Israeli soldier who was run over by a Palestinian in a car attack last Wednesday died on Sunday. Including the attack on Monday morning, the number of Palestinian girls with knives who have attacked Israelis and been killed in the recent crisis has risen to four. A Palestinian woman living in East Jerusalem who was carrying a bomb in her car was arrested last month on a road towards Jerusalem. However, Israel released another knife-wielding girl last week; the Israeli prosecutor's office stated that no charges would be filed against her because her real aim was suicide, but she wanted to be shot by Israeli soldiers while holding a knife in public and become a 'hero.' In the recent crisis, nearly sixty knife attacks and several vehicle ramming incidents targeting passersby and those waiting at bus stations have occurred; several armed attacks have also taken place in these seven weeks. Although knives have been a weapon used by the 'Islamic State' or ISIS in areas under their control in Iraq and Syria over the past two years, Palestinians have also used knives as a means of attacking Israeli passersby in recent attacks, calling it the 'Intifada of Knives.' Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, stated that an armed intifada is not needed for Palestinians, but they should be aware of 'peaceful popular resistance.' Mr. Abbas made these remarks on Sunday in Cairo after meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, adding, 'We do not have an army and should not engage in actions that lead to the destruction of the Palestinian nation.' At the same time, Nabil Shaath, a senior official of the Palestinian Authority, stated that Palestinians have 'no expectations' from the meeting between Barack Obama, the President of the United States, and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, on Tuesday. Mr. Shaath said that Palestinians do not need Israeli 'goodwill'; rather, 'the occupation must end.' Shaath's remarks refer to a report from Haaretz newspaper on Sunday, which stated that Netanyahu would offer proposals based on 'goodwill' to the Palestinians during his meeting with Obama at the White House. Meanwhile, Israeli media reported on Tuesday that concurrently with Netanyahu's trip to Washington, the Israeli housing commission has given the green light for the construction of another 2,200 housing units in the occupied territories. The U.S. government is displeased with Israeli construction in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, viewing it as an obstacle to the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian talks. In this context, Israel has set a 'minimum punishment' of three years in prison for stone-throwing by Palestinians. Obama does not see peace between Israel and the Palestinians as 'possible' during his term. Israeli soldiers shot and killed a 72-year-old Palestinian woman. The security crisis between Israel and the Palestinians continues.