Israeli girl stabbed in gay pride parade dies in hospital

A 16-year-old Israeli girl stabbed during the Jerusalem gay pride parade Thursday and admitted to the Hadassah Ein Karem hospital, succumbed to her wounds Sunday, according to a statement by the hospital.

Shira Banki, a high school student from Jerusalem, suffered critical injuries after she was stabbed by an ultra-Orthodox man during the Thursday parade, and died on Sunday.

Five other individuals were also stabbed, one of them critically but has since recovered and is expected to be released the coming week. The other injured four suffer light to moderate wounds.

The hospital statement declared that despite medical intervention they were unable to treat Banki's critical wounds, adding that her family agreed to donate her organs.

"Our beloved Shira was murdered simply because she was a joyful 16-year-old full of life and love, who supported her friends' - and every individual's - right to live their lives their own way," her family said in a statement issued to Israeli media Sunday, reported the Walla! news website.

"She died because of evil, folly and nonchalance. The family looks forward to less hatred and increased tolerance," read the statement.

Following the attack, the assailant, Yishai Schilssel, 39, was captured and arrested. He carried out a similar attack in 2005 during the pride parade in Jerusalem at the time, and had just been released from prison three weeks ago.

Israeli media outlets reported that Israeli police were tipped off concerning intentions to harm paradegoers, however they ignored it.

For the Israeli public, last week's attack was reminiscent of an armed attack against a gay youth center in Tel Aviv in 2009 when two youngsters were killed. Endit