Israeli teenage girl killed in West Bank bomb attack

Israeli troops gather at the site of a bomb explosion that killed an Israeli teenager, near the settlement of Dolev in the occupied West Bank (23 August 2019)Image copyright
AFP

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Israeli security forces quickly began searching the area around Dolev

A 17-year-old Israeli girl has been killed in a bomb attack near a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military says.

Rina Shenrab had been hiking with her brother and father near the Ein Bubin spring outside Dolev when an improvised explosive device was detonated.

It was not clear if the device was thrown or had been planted there.

Rina’s brother and father were seriously wounded by the blast and were evacuated by helicopter to a hospital.

An Israeli military spokesman said the incident was “a serious terror attack”.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Israeli troops have been deployed around Dolev, which is 15km (9 miles) north of Jerusalem and near the Palestinian village of Deir Ibzi. The military said they were searching the area, setting up roadblocks, and boosting security.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a meeting of his security cabinet.

Image copyright
AFP

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The bomb exploded at a fresh water spring often visited by hikers

President Reuven Rivlin wrote on Twitter that he was “shocked and saddened at the news of the murder”.

“My prayers are with the family and for the recovery of those injured,” he added. “This was a despicable attack against innocent people going about their daily lives in peace.”

There is growing tension in the West Bank, where there have been a series of attacks close to settlements.

Last Friday, two Israelis were injured near the settlement of Elazar in what police said was a car-ramming attack. The alleged assailant, a Palestinian man, was shot dead at the scene.

Earlier this month, an off-duty Israeli soldier was stabbed to death near the settlement of Migdal Oz. Israeli security forces subsequently arrested two Palestinian men in connection with the attack.

More than 600,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements built since Israel’s 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

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