Israeli forces kill Palestinian in alleged stabbing attack

Occupied East Jerusalem – Israeli forces have shot dead a Palestinian teenager after he allegedly stabbed two officers in the Old City in occupied East Jerusalem.

The incident took place at Bab Hutta, one of the gates to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound at approximately 4:30am local time (02:30 GMT) on Sunday.

The youth was identified by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa as 19-year-old Kareem Jamal al-Qawasmi. He was pronounced dead by medical personnel who arrived at the scene shortly after.

Israeli police said the two officers were lightly wounded in the alleged stabbing.

A video circulating online shows the youth lying on the ground after being shot, before one Israeli officer stepped on him, apparently attempting to restrict him. The authenticity of the video could not be independently verified.

Israeli forces closed off all the entrances to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound after the incident, before reopening them later.

The youth was a resident of the neighbourhood of al-Tur (Mount of Olives) in East Jerusalem. Israeli forces raided al-Tur hours after the killing and arrested his brother and his mother, according to Wafa.

Israel occupied and annexed the eastern part of Jerusalem in 1967, in contravention of international law. Most countries consider East Jerusalem occupied territory and do not recognise Israeli sovereignty or illegal settlements there. The Palestinian Authority claims East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state in the 1967-occupied territories, to also include the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

On March 1, the Israeli army shot dead three Palestinians in two separate incidents in the occupied West Bank.

The same day, Israeli forces violently suppressed Palestinian celebrations for the Muslim holiday of Israa and Mi’raj at Damascus Gate to the Old City.

At least 30 Palestinians, including several children, were wounded with stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets and physical assault, while 20 others were arrested.