Police arrest Palestinian girl who pulls knife on them

Teen approaches security forces outside Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate; afterward, officers find a second knife in her bag

Judah Ari Gross is The Times of Israel's religions and Diaspora affairs correspondent.

Weapons from the attempted stabbing at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem on February 15, 2016. (Credit: Police Spokesperson's Department)
Weapons from the attempted stabbing at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem on February 15, 2016. (Credit: Police Spokesperson's Department)

Security forces on Monday arrested a 15-year-old Palestinian girl who pulled a knife from her pocket near the Damascus Gate outside of the Jerusalem’s Old City, the Israel Police said.

The girl “raised the officers’ suspicions,” and when they approached her, she took out the knife, a spokesperson said.

The officers subdued the young woman and arrested her. Upon searching her bag, officers found an additional knife, the spokesperson said.

The Damascus Gate has been the site of frequent attacks against Israeli security forces and civilians.

Most recently, on Sunday night, two Palestinians opened fire on police officers in Jerusalem, and were killed in the ensuing gunbattle, police said.

Both attackers were residents of the West Bank and were killed in the battle, police said. There were no injuries among officers or bystanders. Subsequent reports said at least one of those attackers was a member of the Palestinian security forces.

On February 3, Border Police officer Hadar Cohen, 19, was killed in a Palestinian shooting and stabbing attack at the Damascus Gate.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

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