13-year old Palestinian Ahmed Manasra seen at the District court in Jerusalem. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90) (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Ahmed Manasra

A Palestinian teen went on trial before a Jerusalem court on Tuesday over a stabbing attack last month that fueled a media war amid the ongoing deadly surge in Palestinian violence.

13-year-old Ahmed Manasra and his cousin Hassan, 15, stabbed two Jews in a Jerusalem neighborhood in mid-October. Police fatally shot Hassan and a passing car ran over Ahmed. The Israeli victims, aged 20 and 13, survived their wounds.

The case became a lightning rod for both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian divide after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas lied in a televised speech that Israelis had “summarily executed” Ahmed. The 13-year-old at the time was recovering at an Israeli hospital.

Israel promptly accused Abbas — as it has done repeatedly in the past months — of fomenting violence with incendiary comments.

Since mid-September, 12 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks, mostly stabbing attacks.

On Monday, Palestinian media released footage showing Jerusalem police questioning Ahmed.

In the video, police officers show Ahmed footage of him and his cousin wielding knives and chasing a man through the streets of Pisgat Zeev. One of the officers shouts at Ahmed, “Is this you, this person?” as the teen cries and says he doesn’t remember.

By: Daniella Cheslow, AP