Clashes erupt in Jerusalem after Israeli police killed Palestinian assailant

Massive clashes broke out in Jerusalem on Saturday after Israeli police shot dead a Palestinian assailant who allegedly stabbed and wounded an "ultra-orthodox" Jew near Damascus Gate, outside Jerusalem's old city. The attacker, identified by the police as a 25-year-old man from Salfit in the occupied West Bank area was knocked to the ground while he was approaching two Israeli police officers after stabbing the Israeli citizen.

Several videos shot by bystanders of the confrontation surfaced on the internet which showed a soldier from Israel Paramilitary Border Police shot the alleged attacker when he was already lying on the ground. Another video showed that police prevented medics from reaching the alleged assailant, triggering widespread protests and calls for investigation into potential "excessive use of force," the Associated Press reported. Meanwhile, Israeli police released a surveillance video that showed that the 25-year-old alleged attacker stabbed the Jewish man before he was approaching the Border Police forces.

“The awareness and quick reactions by the police brought about the neutralization of the terrorist," police said in a statement, as quoted by AP.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett expressed support for the police after they shot down the alleged "terrorist," saying that "they acted quickly with great determination... against terrorist who tried to murder an Israeli citizen." Later, Israeli security troops were also deployed in the area, where there were brief skirmishes between young Palestinian protestors before they were driven away with tear gas and stun grenades.

Fifth knife attack since September

As reported by the New York Times, the knife attack was the fifth in Jerusalem since the beginning of September. It follows the killing of an Israeli tour guide by a Palestinian gunman leading to a spike in violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank last month. The recent incidents reflect the 2015-16 wave of knife attacks when scores of Israelis were stabbed by Palestinians in what is referred to as the "knife intifada."

Conflict between Israel and Palestine

The conflict between Israel and Palestine ranges from land and religious issues. The central cause has remained a piece of land along the Jordan River's west side, which is home to more than two million Palestinian Arabs that are under the control of the Israeli military and self-limited rule. The land is also home to nearly 4 lakh Israeli Jews, living in 132 settlements built by Jerusalem. The clashes have frequently broken in the area as the problems remain unresolved with both sides fuelling the tensions.

(With inputs from AP, Image: AP)