An American tourist has been murdered in Israel while out hiking in forests near Jerusalem.

Her British companion - Kaye Wilson – survived the attack by pretending to be dead, reports suggest.

Pictured: Khirbet Hanut is an archaeological site in Israel

Kristine Luken was stabbed to death by two attackers at Khirbet Hanut, an archaeological site, in what may have been a politically motivated attack.

Police spokesperson, Micky Rosenfeld, said: “We are looking into the incident.

“There are different possibilities, including the possibility of a terror attack.

“There are no clear conclusions at the moment.”

The assault has not been claimed by any armed group, he added.

Kristine Luken

Luken had deep links to Israel, where she worked at an evangelical ministry promoting Christianity among Jews.

She had joined the Church’s Ministry among Jewish people in the United States before moving to Israel.

On Saturday, she had headed for the wooded hills around Jerusalem with Wilson, a professional tour guide.

The forest is inside Israel but close to the border with the West Bank and the Palestinian villages of Husan and Wadi Fukin.

No suspects have been taken into custody.