Mother of Damascus Gate attacker arrested for glorifying terrorism

JTA

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israeli forces arrested the mother of one of the Palestinian terrorists involved in the murder of Border Policewoman Hadas Malka.

The woman was arrested on Wednesday morning over statements she made glorifying terrorism and calling for more attacks on Jews. She told Israel’s Kan national broadcaster in an interview that she was proud of her son and that she wanted him to kill “20, 50, 100 of them,” referring to the Israeli security forces in Jerusalem.

The Israeli military and police did not name the woman. The Palestinian Maan news agency identified her as Zeinab Ankoush, of the West Bank village of Deir Abu Mashaal. She is the mother of Adel Hassan Ahmad Ankoush, 18, one of the three attackers in the coordinated attack on Friday night near the Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem, in which Malka was killed and five others injured. She reportedly is charged with conspiracy and other crimes.

Police also arrested a resident of the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya, suspected of driving the attackers to the Damascus Gate on Friday despite being aware of their plans to carry out the attack.