Funeral of terrorist in eastern Jerusalem
Funeral of terrorist in eastern JerusalemReuters

Palestinian Arab sources reported on Friday that Israel had returned to the Palestinian Authority the body of the terrorist from Shechem (Nablus) who stabbed three Israelis in the Old City of Jerusalem at the beginning of April.

The terrorist, 17-year-old Ahmed Razal, was shot and killed by Border Police officers at the scene of the attack.

The Israeli government had at one point promised to stop the transfer of terrorists’ bodies to the PA, though this would not be the first time that Israel has done so after promising to cease the practice.

The policy was an issue of contention between former Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, who in the past argued that the return of terrorists’ bodies to their families prevents escalations, and Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan, who has opposed such transfers.

The Cabinet recently decided that Israel will no longer return the bodies of Hamas terrorists who were killed while carrying out terrorist attacks, as part of a new plan of actionon bringing back the Israeli soldiers and civilians held captive by Hamas in Gaza.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)