Israeli girl (13) fatally stabbed by Palestinian in West Bank

A 13-year-old Israeli girl was stabbed to death while she slept in her bedroom by a Palestinian assailant who infiltrated the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba after climbing over the community’s security fence.

The attacker, named by Palestinian officials as Mohammed Tarayreh (17) from the nearby Palestinian village of Bani Naim, entered the home of Hallel Yaffa Ariel through the unlocked front door and stabbed her numerous times, critically wounding her. Ariel, who was alone in the house at the time, was taken to a Jerusalem hospital but succumbed to her wounds.

The army released a photograph of the blood-spattered room.

The breach of the security fence alerted the settlement’s volunteer security squad which went immediately to the house. One of the guards hurried to the girl to provide first aid and was jumped upon by the attacker, who managed to stab him.

Other guards fired at the attacker, killing him, and also wounding the responding guard.

Following the attack, prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu called on the international community to speak out and the Palestinian leadership to stop incitement.

“The horrific murder of an innocent girl in her bed demonstrates the bloodlust and inhumanity of the incitement-fueled terrorists we are facing. The entire nation deeply identifies with the family and says to the murderers, ‘you will not break us’. We will continue to act with determination and resoluteness against terrorism anywhere and anytime.

“The whole world must condemn this murder, just as it condemned the attacks in Orlando and Brussels. I expect the Palestinian leadership to unequivocally condemn this brutal murder and take immediate action to end incitement.”

Thousands attended Ariel’s funeral in Hebron on Thursday night, including Jewish home minister Uri Ariel, a relative of the victim, who called for massive West Bank settlement construction as an appropriate response to the killing. He also called for Israel to impose “full sovereignty” on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount.

Often, a well-publicised attack can inspire others and on Thursday evening an Arab assailant stabbed and wounded two Israelis in the coastal city of Netanya before being shot and killed by police, sparking fears that a new wave of attacks was under way.

The army imposed a lockdown on Bani Naim, home to 20,000 Palestinians, and revoked work permits from the stabber’s relatives. Preparations were also made to demolish Tarayreh’s home.

Tarayreh’s Facebook page over recent months has been full of praise for Palestinians killed carrying out attacks against Israelis as well as for Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein.

Thursday’s incident brought the death toll of Israelis killed in stabbings, car-rammings and suicide attacks since October to 34. Israeli forces have shot dead at least 198 Palestinians, 134 of whom Israel has said were assailants. Others were killed in clashes and protests.