Palestinian shot dead trying to stab Israelis

Catholic patriarch urges end to violence

JERUSALEM, Dec 17, (Agencies): Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian on Thursday who the military said tried to stab them after he was stopped for questioning in the occupied West Bank.

A campaign of stabbings, shootings and carrammings by Palestinians has killed 19 Israelis and a US citizen since October. Israeli forces have killed at least 114 Palestinians, 68 of whom the army described as assailants.

In the latest incident, the military said an Israeli army patrol in the West Bank village of Hawara approached a Palestinian suspect in order to question him, but he ran towards the soldiers with a knife and was fatally shot.

Violence has been partly fuelled by Palestinian frustration over the collapse of statehood talks with Israel in 2014 and stepped up Jewish visits to Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque compound, which is revered by Muslims as Islam’s third holiest site and by Jews as the location of two destroyed biblicalera temples.

Israeli leaders say Palestinian incitement to violence on social media and sympathy with Islamist militant calls for Israel’s destruction are key factors behind the wave of Palestinian attacks.

Meanwhile, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in the Holy Land called Wednesday in his Christmas message for Israel and the Palestinians to halt a wave of deadly violence while denouncing extremist attacks worldwide.

Fouad Twal, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, said the situation necessitated “moderate celebrations” as Bethlehem, the city neighbouring Jerusalem where biblical tradition says Jesus Christ was born, prepared for its Christmas events.

“We are tired of this conflict as we see the Holy Land sullied with blood,” the Jordanian patriarch said.

“Each of the two peoples of the Holy Land, Israelis and Palestinians, have the right to dignity, to an independent state and sustainable security.”

He also denounced violence in other parts of the world, saying “a deadly ideology based on religious fanaticism and obstinacy is spreading terror and barbarism amidst innocent people.”

“Yesterday, it was Lebanon, France, Russia, the United States; but war has been raging for years in Iraq and Syria,” he said.

He said “we invite every parish to switch off Christmas tree lights for five minutes in solidarity with all victims of violence and terrorism. Similarly, our Christmas mass will be offered for the victims and their families.”

A wave of violence since Oct 1 has killed 119 on the Palestinian side, 17 Israelis, an American and an Eritrean.