Palestinian woman tries to stab soldiers in West Bank,
is shot dead — IDF
By TOI STAFF
Today, at 8:56 pm
A Palestinian woman (R) approaching IDF soldiers at the Gush Etzion Junction in the West Bank, in an alleged attempt at a stabbing attack, May 2, 2021. (screenshot: Twitter)
I don't mean to make light of this very tragic incident, but isn't it ironic that the woman was approaching the IDF soldiers with a knife, with the intention of stabbing them, and she's wearing Covid19 mask?
Israeli security forces shot dead a Palestinian woman brandishing a knife who tried to carry out a stabbing attack at the Gush Etzion Junction in the West Bank, south of Jerusalem, the Israel Defense Forces said Sunday.
The incident came amid rising tensions over the postponement of Palestinian elections, as well as unrest surrounding the holy month of Ramadan.
The woman, a 60-year-old resident of the nearby village of Husan, approached a group of soldiers with a knife in her hand and tried to stab the troops, the military said.
Palestinian media later identified the 60-year-old woman as Fahima al-Hroub.
One of the soldiers shot her in the upper body, and she was taken to Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center in critical condition, where she was later pronounced dead, the hospital said.
There were no casualties among the soldiers, according to the IDF.
Footage of the incident showed al-Hroub continuing to walk toward the soldiers even as they shouted at her repeatedly to stop and fired warning shots in the air.
An IDF statement said: “A terrorist armed with a knife arrived at the Gush Etzion Junction and tried to stab IDF fighters who were at the spot. A fighter initiated rules of engagement protocol that included gunshots toward the terrorist, who was neutralized.”
The knife used by a Palestinian woman in an alleged stabbing attempt in the Gush Etzion Junction in the West Bank on May 2 2021. (Israel Defense Forces)
The Gush Etzion Junction has been the scene of many Palestinian attacks in recent years, most recently on January 31, when Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian man who attempted to stab a soldier with a makeshift spear.
On Friday, police said a Palestinian man tried to carry out a stabbing attack near the Efrat junction, south of Bethlehem — several kilometers from the Gush Etzion Junction — and was shot by an officer on the scene and seriously injured.
Tensions in Jerusalem, specifically around its Old City, were high in recent days after police prevented people from congregating outside Damascus Gate during Ramadan, which critics said was an inflammatory move that obstructed a long-held tradition of gathering at the site during the holy month. Authorities later canceled the policy.
Palestinian protesters raise national flags as they gather near the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City, on April 25, 2021. (Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP)
Additionally, in the West Bank over the past week, hundreds of Palestinians have marched toward Israeli checkpoints on a nightly basis, leading to clashes.
The IDF is said to have also bolstered its forces in the West Bank during the month of Ramadan, in case of violence stemming from the postponement of Palestinian elections.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced on Thursday night that the first Palestinian national elections in 15 years would be indefinitely delayed, a move likely to instigate further tensions in the region.
The vote would be postponed until Israel agreed to allow East Jerusalem Palestinians to participate, Abbas told a conference of senior Palestinian officials.
The Palestinians had been scheduled to vote for the Palestinian Legislative Council on May 22, for the first time since 2006. A presidential election was set to follow on July 31, for the first time since 2005.
Islamic group Ansaar banned by Berlin: Minister says they financed terrorism
under the guise of humanitarian aid
5 May, 2021 09:55
German police have conducted raids on offices and locations belonging to Ansaar International, after Berlin outlawed the organization on the grounds that it had financed Islamist terrorism around the world.
“If you want to fight terror, you have to dry out their sources of money,” Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer said on Wednesday via Twitter, as he announced that the group had been banned in Germany. “They are spreading the Salafist worldview and financing terror all over the world under the guise of humanitarian aid.”
In a press release shared by the interior ministry, the government said around 1,000 police officers had participated in raids on Ansaar offices and affiliates across 10 German states. “So far, around €150,000 in cash has been seized,” it added.
According to Ansaar’s website, the group finances humanitarian aid to people affected by war and crises, including the building of hospitals, orphanages, and schools.
The Interior Ministry disputed these claims, noting that, “contrary to the company’s own statements, these are not only used for humanitarian purposes, but, in particular, to support terrorist organizations such as Jabhat al-Nusra, Hamas and Al-Shabab.”
According to Der Tagesspiegel, 70 locations were searched by police officers on Wednesday morning. The operation focused on North Rhine-Westphalia, where the alleged aid organization was founded in 2012.
In April 2019, the police raided around 90 premises belonging to the organization in nine states, collecting material for a prospective ban.
French journalist kidnapped in Mali pleads for release in video message
By Daniel Uria
May 5 (UPI) -- A French journalist who was kidnapped in Mali called for his release in a video released on Wednesday, Reporters Without Borders said.
"We urge the Malian and French authorities to do everything possible to obtain his release and we offer our full support to his family and friends," Arnaud Froger, head of Reporters Without Borders Africa desk, said in a statement.
The French foreign ministry confirmed Dubois' disappearance but the video is still in the process of being authenticated.
Reporters Without Borders said it was informed of Dubois' kidnapping two days after he went missing when he failed to return to the Malian capital after going out for lunch.
However, the organization decided in conjunction with Dubois' editors to not report his abduction "in order to not hamper the possibility of a rapid positive outcome."
Which, apparently, didn't happen!
Reporters Without Borders noted that the presence of armed groups in Africa's Sahel area are "making journalism extremely dangerous there," citing the killings of Spanish journalists David Beriain and Roberto Fraile in Burkina Faso late last month.
"Coming just 10 days after two Spanish journalists were killed in neighboring Burkina Faso, the report of this reporter's abduction is another cruel blow to journalism in the Sahel," said Froger.
More than a dozen people killed by Islamist militants in northeast Nigeria
Fargo, ND, USA / The Mighty 790 KFGO | KFGO
Thomson Reuters
May 3, 2021 4:27 PM
MAIDUGURI/ABUJA (Reuters) – More than a dozen people, including seven soldiers, were killed by Islamist militants in an attack in northeast Nigeria, four sources told Reuters.
The militants arrived in the Ajiri community in the Mafa local government area of Borno state on motorcycles early on Sunday, killing an army commanding officer and six soldiers, the sources said.
The assailants also killed six civilians, burned down nine housing blocks and carted away valuables, the sources – one soldier, one civilian fighter and two local government officials – told Reuters.
In a statement, the military said troops repelled the attack but that militants killed some residents and two military personnel.
The military lies!
Attacks by Islamist militants have been intensifying in northeast Nigeria in recent months, with dozens of soldiers killed and thousands of Nigerians displaced.
Army spokesman Mohammed Yerima said the military on Saturday repelled another attack on Rann, capital of the Kala Balge local government area of Borno.
Two sources, one soldier and one local resident, said troops killed nine militants. Yerima said in the statement that the troops also captured weapons including an anti-aircraft gun barrel, an AK-47 rifle and different calibres of ammunition.
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