By Anees Barghouti
RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA, & Imemc): A Palestinian woman was shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday after she allegedly tried to stab an Israeli soldier.
The Israeli military said in a statement the woman had attempted to stab a border police officer at Tapuach Junction near the West Bank city of Nablus.
Israeli soldiers “shot the assailant, resulting to her death,” the statement said.
The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the woman as Raheeq Shjei’ Birawi, 23, from ‘Aseera ash-Shamaliyya town, west of Nablus.
Nasser Jawabra, the head of Aseera ash-Shamaliyya Local council, said that Raheeq was married to a Palestinian man who lives in the United States, and has no political affiliations.
raheeqJawabra added the young woman’s father works as a construction worker in Israel, and that the soldiers detained him as he was trying to cross the roadblock, heading back home, and being informed that his daughter was killed.
Za’tara military roadblock, is close to Tapuach Junction, near Tapuach ultra-orthodox illegal colony, built on Palestinian lands between Nablus and Ramallah.
According to Palestinian figures, more than 240 Palestinians have been killed since the current uptick in Israeli-Palestinian violence began last October.
Israel, for its part, says 42 Israelis have been killed over the same period.
[Photo: Raheeq Shjei’ Birawi, 23, killed by Israeli forces. Photograph: imemc.org]