British student stabbed to death in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM: A 23-YEAROLD British woman was stabbed to death with a kitchen knife in Jerusalem as Christians gathered to mark Good Friday.

Hannah Bladon (pictured) was staying in the country as an exchange student when she was attacked on a tram close to the Old City.

Police arrested Jamil Tamimi, 57, a Palestinian man from East Jerusalem who was described as mentally unstable, after the frenzied attack.

Paramedics worked frantically to save Miss Bladon at the scene, but she died later in hospital.

Miriam Levy, a 32-year-old medic who helped treat her, said: “She was stabbed all over the upper part of her body – chest, abdomen, limbs.

“I’ve not seen this kind of severity apart from in hospitals ... she was so young.”

Her alleged attacker got on the tram at Damascus Gate and pulled a knife out of his bag as it approached the next stop.

He was tackled by an offduty police officer who was riding the tram with his family, police spokesman Luba Samri said.

Miss Bladon, from Burton-on-Trent, was an exchange student from the University of Birmingham studying at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem’s Rothberg International School.

In a Facebook post from January on an account appearing to belong to her, Miss Bladon reassured family and friends that she was safe, and wrote: “Security is really high on campus so no worries at mo. Managed to see a lot of sites before starting my classes today so defo having a great time.”

A Facebook page for those studying at the university said she was an “inquisitive and adventurous student” who made the most of her opportunity to learn in Israel.

A friend from the school, Rotshak Abel Golmut, also shared a tribute: “So painful ... What cowardliness to kill such a peaceful soul.”

Police said an initial probe showed Tamimi was mentally ill. Earlier this year, he tried to commit suicide by swallowing a razor blade, according to the Shin Bet, Israel’s security service.

The attack took place as the Old City was packed with Christians, many of them tourists from around the world, marking Good Friday.

President of Israel Reuven Rivlin said he was “filled with sadness” by the violence. He said: “Terror will never overcome our lives here.”