Palestinian mother of 8 dies in Israeli colonist stone-throwing
48-year-old woman was travelling with her husband in car when she was attacked
APalestinian woman died of her wounds after Israeli colonists in the occupied West Bank threw stones at the car she was travelling in, Palestinian security sources and media said yesterday.
An Israeli police spokesman confirmed a car had been hit by stones but did not identify the perpetrators. He said an investigation was underway but did not give further details.
Palestinian official news agency Wafa identified the passenger who died as 48-year-old mother of eight, Aisha Mohammad Rabi.
She died in hospital in the northern West Bank city of Nablus from a head injury sustained in the stone-throwing incident south of the city on Friday, Wafa said, citing medical and Palestinian security sources.
Her husband, who was driving the car at the time, escaped with minor injuries, the same sources said.
Palestinian witnesses and security sources cited by the news agency said the stones were thrown by Israeli colonists.
Stone-throwing incidents implicating Israeli colonists have risen of late, the Palestinian security sources added.
Tensions have been running high in the West Bank over the past week with two attacks against Israelis.
On Friday, Israeli forces said they had arrested a Palestinian on suspicion of stabbing and wounding an army reservist on guard duty at a checkpoint south of Nablus the previous day. Another wanted Palestinian suspect remains on the run.
By suspending badlyneeded fuel deliveries to the Gaza Strip after deadly overnight clashes, the Israeli occupation regime has cast doubts on the viability of the hard-won measure aimed at helping the Palestinian people and easing tensions.
The deal, brokered by the United Nations and backed by the United States, Israel and others, had seen thousands of litres of fuel trucked into Gaza daily to boost the impoverished territory’s electricity supply.
But only days after being brought into effect, Israeli regime’s Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman late on Friday ordered the deliveries to stop after clashes on the Gaza-Israel border.
Despite hopes the fuel would help ease months of deadly violence, thousands of protesters gathered again Friday at the border fence.
7 Palestinians killed
The Gaza health ministry said seven Palestinians were killed.
The fuel deal had been reached without the agreement of the officially recognised Palestinian government, in what diplomats said was a first for Gaza — which is controlled by the rival Palestinian faction, Hamas.
And it had also raised questions on whether Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas is slowly being sidelined.
The Palestinian National Authority (PA) headed by Abbas has semi autonomy in parts of the occupied West Bank, but lost control of Gaza to Hamas in a nearcivil war in 2007.