13-Y-O Israeli-American Girl Stabbed to Death by Palestinian Man Who Broke Into Her Bedroom
A 13-year-old Israeli girl with U.S. citizenship has reportedly been stabbed to death by a Palestinian man who broke into her bedroom on Thursday.
The BBC reports that the girl, Hallel Yaffa Ariel, was attacked while she slept by 19-year-old Mohammed Tarayreh from the nearby village of Bani Naim.
Ariel was repeatedly stabbed in her upper body before a security guard responded to the scene, but was also wounded by the attacker. Tarayreh was later killed by two other security guards patrolling the settlement.
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The murder has shocked the community, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke out about the crime, saying: "The horrifying murder of a young girl in her bed underscores the bloodlust and inhumanity of the incitement-driven terrorists that we are facing."
Netanyahu added, "The entire nation deeply identifies with the family's pain and declares to the murderers: You will not break us."
Violence between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank has been on the rise in the past few months, with 34 Israelis having been killed in various attacks since October. Another 200 Palestinians have also been killed, though Israel says those have mostly been attackers.
The security guard who initially responded to the attack in the girl's home reportedly suffered multiple stab and gunshot wounds, and is in serious condition at a local hospital.
Rena Ariel, the girl's mother, told Israel's Channel 2, "Just like any teenager on summer holiday, my daughter was asleep, calm, relaxed. A terrorist murderer came and murdered her in her bed."
The Associated Press reported that Adnan Tarayreh, a cousin of the killer, speculated that Mohammed might have been motivated to carry out the attack due to the death of another cousin who had rammed his vehicle into Israelis in Kiryat Arba.
The girl's funeral took place on Thursday near Hebron, another city with high tensions between the Israeli and Palestinian communities.
U.S. Secretary of State spokesman John Kirby responded to the news by stating: "This brutal act of terrorism is simply unconscionable. We extend our deepest condolences to her family. We also understand another individual who was responding to the attack was wounded by the attacker. We extend our hopes for a quick and full recovery."
CNN noted that Netanyahu is planning to revoke work permits for members of Tarayra's family, and is seeking approval to demolish the attacker's home.
Sari Bashi, Israel-Palestine director of Human Rights Watch, criticized the move, however, and said:
"The fact that settlements are illegal under international law does not make their inhabitants, children as well as their parents, subject to lethal attack. At the same time, the killing provides no legal justification for the Israeli government to punish the alleged attacker's family members."
