Palestinian Attacker of Israeli Border Guard Killed

Palestinians and Israelis began a new series of bloody clashes early on Monday, October 20; coinciding with a Palestinian's knife attack on a border guard member, which resulted in the death of the Palestinian. Clashes between Palestinian youths in the West Bank and Israeli forces have continued. Israeli media reports that a young Palestinian attacked border guard forces with a knife in the area between East and West Jerusalem but was killed by gunfire from these forces. Initial reports from Palestinian sources identified the attacker as 18-year-old Mustafa Adel Khatib, a resident of the village of Sur al-Bahr in East Jerusalem. On the evening of Sunday, October 19, another young Palestinian near the city of Khadra in northern Israel ran over an Israeli soldier girl standing at a bus stop with a car and then exited the vehicle to stab the injured girl. According to Israeli media, the soldier girl was 'on the brink of death,' but the attacker also stabbed two other soldiers and a male passerby at the bus stop. The attacker, an 18-year-old Palestinian, was arrested alive. Israeli media say this Palestinian was from the city of Jenin in the West Bank and had official permission to live in the Arab town of Umm al-Fahm in Israel. Israeli media also report that another Palestinian may have accompanied the attacker and stolen the injured soldier girl's weapon after she was wounded. Earlier on Sunday, other attacks occurred, including a Palestinian woman who attacked an Israeli traffic police officer with an explosive package in a stolen vehicle when asked to stop, resulting in her injury and subsequent hospitalization in Israel. Additionally, during the violent events on Sunday, a 12-year-old Palestinian teenager among stone throwers in the West Bank was killed. Since October 1, when the security crisis began with an armed attack by a Hamas group on an Israeli family, the number of Palestinian deaths has risen to 25, while four Israelis have also been killed; dozens of Israelis and Palestinians have been injured. Simultaneously, on Sunday evening, at least one more rocket attack from Gaza hit the Eshkol area in southern Israel. This rocket attack occurred after Israel's response to Saturday night's rocket fire, which resulted in the deaths of a Palestinian mother and child. According to Israeli media reports, Benjamin Netanyahu's government presented a bill on Sunday, October 19, which would impose imprisonment on Arabs over 18 years old participating in stone-throwing and firebombing, while families of Arabs under 18 would face financial penalties. Suggestions have also been made by ministers to potentially revoke privileges from Palestinians in East Jerusalem participating in unrest, such as receiving unemployment insurance payments. Netanyahu also requested the Israeli prosecution to gather evidence to outlaw the northern branch of the Islamic Movement led by Sheikh Raed Salah to present to the court, accusing this movement of 'incitement and false propaganda regarding Al-Aqsa.' One activist of this movement, who are Arab citizens of Israel, was arrested on Sunday night. Furthermore, between Sunday night and early Monday, Israeli security forces arrested 33 Palestinians from the West Bank and 17 Palestinians residing in East Jerusalem on charges of participating in unrest. One of the detainees is a young man who had announced on social media his intention to become a 'martyr' and 'launch an imminent attack on the occupiers.' According to the Jerusalem Post, the Knesset National Security Commission will also vote on Monday to deploy 1,400 reserve police officers. The Israeli government also approved the deployment of 16 battalions of reserve border guards to strengthen security forces in areas such as Jerusalem. Some Palestinian groups have declared Tuesday and Friday of this week as 'Days of Rage,' and Arab citizens of Israel have stated they will hold a general strike. Meanwhile, Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the Palestinian Authority, emphasized in discussions with leaders of the youth branch of Fatah that armed intifada does not help achieve Palestinian goals. Al-Hayat al-Jadida, the official newspaper of the Palestinian Authority, reported on Monday that Mr. Abbas requested Palestinian television to limit live broadcasts regarding this crisis to cool down the flames of this crisis. Nabil Shaath and Ahmad Majdalani, two other senior officials of the Palestinian Authority, also stated on Palestinian radio and television on Sunday and Monday that attacks with cold and hot weapons against Israelis do not help the Palestinian cause. However, Ismail Haniyeh, deputy head of Hamas's political bureau, on Sunday supported the new 'intifada,' which he called 'the continuation of the Al-Aqsa Intifada,' saying that 'the spilled blood brings the freedom of Al-Aqsa closer.' Haniyeh called on Palestinian youth to unite in advancing the 'Jerusalem Liberation Project' and expressed satisfaction that some Arab youths residing in Israel are also involved in these attacks. Hamas supporters on social media have called on Palestinian youths to increase attacks on Israelis with knives and other means. Meanwhile, as global leaders continue to express concern over the new crisis between Israel and the Palestinians, Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, emphasized in separate phone calls with Netanyahu and Abbas the need to work to stop terrorist actions and inappropriate responses that could exacerbate the situation.