PHOTO: Ahmed Mansara in Jerusalem hospital earlier this month, following alleged involvement in double stabbing


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UPDATE 1200 GMT: Medical staff said a Palestinian attacker, an Israeli victim, and a bystander were injured in Jerusalem on Friday.

The assailant was shot and critically wounded near a light rail station, while the victim is in stable condition with injuries to the upper body. The bystander was “lightly to moderately” injured in the legs from gunfire.

Earlier in the day, one Palestinian was killed and one critically injured when they allegedly tried to stab a group of Border Police officers at the Tapuah Junction in the West Bank.


ORIGINAL ENTRY: A 13-year-old Palestinian has been charged in Israel with attempted murder.

Ahmed Manasra was indicted on Friday over a stabbing attack earlier this month. Two Israelis were injured, including a 13-year-old who was critically wounded.

The youth was seriously injured when he was hit by a car as he left the scene of the attack in a Jerusalem neighborhood on October 12. His cousin Hassan Manasra, 15, was shot dead by security forces, allegedly after he charged police with a knife.

A video of Ahmad Manasra lying on the ground after being hit by the car was widely circulated on social media. One Israeli onlooker shouted, “Die, son of a whore! Die!”, while another told a police officer to shoot him.

Manasra was treated in Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital and detained upon his release last week. The Israeli court rejected his family’s request that he be held under house arrest.

Under Israeli law, a minor under the age of 14 cannot face jail time, but the prosecution can ask for a prison sentence in a juvenile facility if a youth is convicted of attempted murder.

The prosecution is said to be looking into the possibility of postponing court proceedings until after Manasra turns 14 in January.

Manasra reportedly confessed to the stabbings but then recanted the statement. At a hearing, lawyers said, “He indeed held a knife, but he didn’t stab anyone. His cousin is the one who stabbed. It’s a 13-year-old boy who isn’t responsible for his actions.”

The two injured Israelis were released from the hospital last week.

More than 60 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces in this month’s escalation of violence, while ten Israelis have been slain, mainly by stabbings, by Palestinian attackers.


Israeli Forces Implement New Restrictions in West Bank

The Israel Defense Forces began implementing new measures on Thursday to separate Israeli and Palestinian populations in the West Bank.

The IDF said it will not allow Palestinian males between the ages of 15 and 25 to pass through Hebron’s Jewish settlement, except those that live in the surrounding area, who will be undergo a thorough security check.

A council leader in an Israeli settlement said soldiers will separate Palestinian and Jewish residents at the Gush Etzion Junction, which has been the site of multiple attacks in recent weeks.

An IDF spokeswoman said the restrictions were necessary because of 13 stabbing attempts since October 1. In almost all the cases, the Palestinian attackers were shot dead by Israeli forces.