British woman killed in Jerusalem stabbing attack

British woman killed in Jerusalem stabbing attack
The woman, who was reportedly on holiday, was stabbed to death on Jerusalem's light railway near the Old City.
1 min read
14 April, 2017
A British woman was stabbed and killed in Jerusalem on Friday and her attacker arrested, an Israeli police spokeswoman said.

The attack took place on the light railway close to the Old City, where Christian commemorations were under way for Good Friday as Jews marked the week-long Passover holiday.

The woman, who is in her 20s, is believed to be a British national who was holidaying in Israel, police said. It is unclear if she is also an Israeli citizen.

She suffered multiple stab wounds to her upper body.

A Palestinian man from the Ras al-Amoud neighbourhood of East Jerusalem was identified as the assailant.

Police said the 57-year-old suffers from "mental problems" and was recently released from a psychiatric hospital.

Israeli border police shut down Damascus Gate, the main thoroughfare to the Old City, following the attack.

Hundreds of Israeli police officers have been deployed in Jerusalem for the Jewish Passover holiday, which coincides with Christian Easter celebrations.

A wave of unrest which erupted in October 2015 has claimed the lives of 260 Palestinians, 41 Israelis, two Americans, one Jordanian, an Eritrean and a Sudanese, according to an AFP count.