Israeli Border Police officer Hadas Malka was killed on June 16, 2017 in a stabbing attack near Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. Image by Courtesy

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Thousands attended the funeral of Israeli Border Police officer Hadas Malka, who died from injuries sustained during a Palestinian terror attack.

The funeral at a military cemetery in Ashdod began just after midnight on Sunday morning, about 24 hours after she died of her wounds sustained during the Friday night attack near the Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Malka, 23, was killed in a stabbing attack by a Palestinian assailant who attacked her as she responded to a Palestinian shooting attack at the nearby Zedekiah’s Cave. All three attackers were killed by Israeli forces.

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“You cared for everyone, always lent a helping hand; your joy for life swept everyone away,” police chief Roni Alsheich said at the funeral. “You loved everyone. You stayed away from gossip and speaking ill of others. You were a fighter who loved people.”

She is survived by her parents and five siblings.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed condolences at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday morning. “Their grief is our grief; their sorrow is that of the entire nation,” Netanyahu said.

The Palestinian Authority issued a statement on Saturday condemning the deaths of the three attackers, calling it a “war crime” by Israeli forces. The PA has not condemned the Friday night attacks.  

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