Arab Shot by Soldiers: ‘Why Did They Shoot a 12-Year-Old?’
A 12-year-old who was shot Wednesday under suspicion that she was a terrorist protested that security officers who shot her got the wrong idea about her. Bara Alwassi said that she had approached the Eliyahu Crossing on Wednesday in order “to see where my aunt had died,” she told Israeli reporters.
Alwassi’s aunt was a terrorist who a year ago pulled out a knife and attempted to stab the security officers at the crossing. She was shot and killed in the course of the attack. Speaking to reporters, Alwassi said that “since the day my aunt died I have always wanted to see where she was killed.”
Alwassi was shot Wednesday after she approached the cars-only crossing on foot, and ignored warnings by security officers to halt. She was shot in the leg and neutralized. Upon inspection, security officers discovered that she was not actually carrying a weapon.
Alwassi said she was not aware that walking up to the checkpoint was not allowed, and that her Hebrew wasn’t good enough to enable her to understand the halt orders. She proceeded to walk toward the crossing and was shot. “The soldiers thought I had a knife, but why would I have a knife? I am just 12 years old.”
The IDF did not comment on Alwassi’s interviews.
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