Israeli guards kill armed Jewish woman in black burqa
An Israeli woman was shot dead at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday after running at a soldier and shouting "Allahu Akbar".
The 27-year-old Jewish woman was identified as a resident of the southern Israeli city of Be’er Sheva and was reportedly holding an airsoft gun. She was also identified by the defence ministry as a former soldier in the Israeli army.
The army said a preliminary probe revealed that the woman, who was dressed all in black, arrived at the Metzadot Yehuda crossing from the direction of the settlement of Beit Yatir in the south Hebron Hills.
The defence ministry said the guards “reacted quickly and neutralised her before she could open fire”.
A selfie taken prior to the incident apparently showed the woman dressed in a niqab. The motive for the incident remains unclear.
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The incident comes as Israel continues to target the Gaza Strip with air strikes.
Israel on Tuesday launched a new offensive in Gaza dubbed Operation Shield and Arrow, killing 15 Palestinians, including four children and five women. Air strikes on Wednesday killed four more Palestinians, prompting Palestinian armed factions to fire rockets at Israel.
A tense wait prevailed in Israel after the initial raids, with cities near the frontier with Gaza bracing for reprisal attacks from Palestinian groups.
More than 7,000 people living in southern Israel fled their homes to other parts of the country as bomb shelters were opened and roads closed.
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