Palestinian stabs soldier in West Bank, shot dead: army

A Palestinian stabbed and wounded a soldier in the southern West Bank on Tuesday before being shot dead, the army said, the latest in a three-month wave of attacks.

"An assailant stabbed a soldier at the Gush Etzion junction," a statement said.

"Forces at the scene responded to the attack and shot the assailant, resulting in his death. The victim is receiving emergency medical treatment."

A spokesman for Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical service said a 34-year-old man was taken to hospital with stab wounds to his face and hand.

A military spokeswoman told AFP he was a reserve soldier.

The Palestinian health ministry named the stabber as Ahmed Kawazbeh, 18, from Sair, a village northeast of Hebron.

Twenty-two Israelis, an American and an Eritrean have been killed in Palestinian attacks including stabbings, car rammings and gunfire targeting security forces and civilians since October 1.

At the same time, 139 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, most while carrying out attacks.

Also Tuesday, Israeli forces apprehended a young Palestinian in Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv, who had been feared to be on his way to attack Israelis, police said.

Ahmad Khatib, 20, from the village of Sur Baher near Jerusalem, had stormed out of his home Tuesday morning after an argument with his father, threatening to commit an attack.

His car and cellphone were found in Herzliya and, after being spotted in the centre of the coastal city, police arrested him for questioning.

Photo: Israeli forensic police investigate the site of an attack near Jerusalem (Yahoo)