A Palestinian woman from East Jerusalem was shot and killed late Tuesday night on the roof of her home, with her family asserting that she was killed by the Border Police, which has promised to investigate the incident.

Zahiya Joudeh, 66, from the Shuafat refugee camp, was killed while Border Police forces were conducting an operation in the camp. Border Police did not confirm that they had shot her, telling The Times of Israel that “the incident is under investigation by the relevant authorities.”

A Border Police spokesperson told The Times of Israel that an internal affairs investigation has been opened following the incident. A report in the Walla news site said an officer suspected of being involved was being questioned.

The Shuafat refugee camp lies within the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem, and its residents hold either permanent residency or Israeli citizenship. However, it is physically separated from the rest of the city by a checkpoint, and is primarily patrolled by the Border Police rather than regular Israeli police officers.

According to her family, Zahiya was shot while standing on the home’s rooftop, on the second floor, at around 11:30 p.m. Kaid Joudeh, her husband, told The Times of Israel: “My wife had high blood pressure. She always goes up to the roof at night to get some air.”

According to the Border Police, its officers came under attack by stone throwers, one of whom injured a police officer, prompting the unit to open fire at what it called “rioters” while operating in the camp on Tuesday night.

Kaid Joudeh said he had been sleeping when the shooting happened, and was woken by the screams of other family members in the house who heard the gunfire.

Kaid said that the scene of Zahiya’s death was horrific due to the head wound inflicted by the bullet. He and another relative said they believe, based on accounts from neighbors, that a Border Police officer fired a single bullet at Zahiya’s head from a distance of about 25 meters as she stood on the roof.

Zahiya was taken to a local clinic in the Shuafat refugee camp, where she was pronounced dead. Her body was later transferred to the Shuafat checkpoint and then taken by police to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, for what was said to be further investigation into the cause of death.

According to the family, at around 3:30 a.m., dozens of police arrived at their home to investigate the shooting.

“Officers and commanders came — about 50 in total — from the Border Police and regular police,” said Kaid Joudeh. “They said they came to investigate the situation. They went up to the roof, took photos there, photographed the stairs, and checked the neighborhood. She was 25 meters from them. There was no threat to the lives of the [officers].”

He added: “The commander of the unit was there too. People in the neighborhood saw that one of his men [a Border Police officer] fired at my wife.”

He added that the bullet remained lodged in his wife’s head, and the shell casing was found in the street below and picked up by the family.

“I told the police: we are good people, the Joudeh family. I don’t distinguish between blood — whether it’s Arab or Jewish. But the one who shot my wife must be punished,” Kaid continued. “That Border Police officer should sit at home until the investigation is complete. I will pursue him in court everywhere — I won’t let this go, not for the rest of my life. That man destroyed my life in a second.”

A relative of Zahiya, who asked not to be named, told The Times of Israel: “We are in the State of Israel, and the law must be upheld. We’re not in Gaza or the West Bank. Citizens must be protected.”

Kaid Joudeh added: “She was a mother of seven, with nearly 50 grandchildren. My daughters are crying. She was a good soul — why? Where was the judgment? Can I just take a weapon and shoot someone? Why would a soldier in uniform shoot a woman the age of his grandmother?!”

Shortly after the incident, at around 2 a.m., Israel Police issued a statement:

“The Israel Police has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of an East Jerusalem resident who arrived at the Shuafat refugee camp checkpoint with serious penetrating injuries. She was later pronounced dead by medical personnel. Upon receiving the report, officers from the Shuafat precinct began investigating the case.”

A few hours later, Border Police issued an additional statement, which did not mention the death of Zahiya: “During an operation by undercover officers and Border Police fighters in the Shuafat refugee camp last night, they were attacked in a violent riot that included stone-throwing. As a result, one officer was injured in the head by a rock and was evacuated for treatment. In response, the force, which felt its life was in danger, opened fire at the rioters. The incident is currently under investigation by the relevant authorities.”