Tlaib sparks backlash for tweet about woman reportedly killed attacking Israeli soldiers with knife

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"Squad" member Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., sparked backlash online with a tweet claiming Israel is dehumanizing Palestinians by withholding the body of a Ph.D. student who was reportedly killed while attacking Israeli Defense Force (IDF) soldiers.

On Saturday, Tlaib shared a picture of Ph.D. student Mai Afana's mother in an emotional Twitter thread in which the congresswoman said the Israeli government "killed" Afana and would not return her body to her family.

Tlaib said the Israeli government was making claims "without proof" in an effort to "continue to dehumanize Palestinians even after they have died."

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"I am sharing Mai's story because I began to only learn last year of this inhumane practice by the Israeli [government]," Tlaib wrote. "Without proof, they make claims, and all to just continue to dehumanize Palestinians even after they have died. We must stand against this form of collective violence."

Afana was reportedly killed in June after ramming her car into an Israeli checkpoint along the West Bank, exiting her car and charging IDF soldiers with a knife, injuring one of the soldiers.

According to reports, Israel withholds bodies to negotiate the return of Israeli bodies or captives that are being held by Hamas.

The Michigan congresswoman was lit up online over the post, with journalist Jerry Dunleavy pointing out that Tlaib left out key information about Afana's death.

"Somehow unmentioned in this tweet from Rashida Tlaib is why Mai Afana was killed," Dunleavy wrote. "For instance, the Israel Defense Forces said at the time: ‘The assailant attempted to ram into a number of IDF soldiers, exited her vehicle with a knife drawn, and was neutralized in response.’"

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Others spoke out against Tlaib’s tweet, as well, with former President Trump’s special assistant Boris Epshteyn asking how House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., "continue to tolerate this kind of anti-Semitism in their caucus."

Tlaib’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment on the criticism.

Houston Keene is a reporter for Fox News Digital. You can find him on Twitter at @HoustonKeene.