Palestinian woman stabs Israeli officer in Hebron, is shot dead

A Palestinian woman was shot dead by Israeli officers Sunday after trying to stab them at a checkpoint near the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, police said.

Police said one Border Police officer was lightly hurt in the attack.

A police official told The Times of Israel that the wounded officer managed to shoot back twice, killing the assailant.

Footage from the scene showed the woman lying on the ground near the officers.

The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry later identified the alleged stabber as 24-year-old Maha Kazim al-Zaatry, a resident of Hebron.

The incident came hours after an unarmed Palestinian woman was shot dead by Israeli soldiers after she ran toward them in the West Bank town of Husan.

عاجل| إصابةٌ برصاص الاحتلال قرب المسجد الإبراهيمي في الخليل.#فلسطين pic.twitter.com/IFlnFt8hdw

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) April 10, 2022

Tensions have risen sharply between Israel and the Palestinians in recent weeks against the backdrop of repeated terror attacks in Israeli cities that left 14 dead. The army has stepped up its West Bank activities in an attempt to crack down on the spiraling violence.

Overnight Saturday soldiers conducted raids in Palestinian cities across the West Bank in an attempt to tamp down the violence, and arrested 20. Palestinians clashed with Israeli troops during the raids in Tulkarem, Jenin and Jericho, leading to several injuries.