An Israeli soldier guards near the scene where the Israeli military said two Palestinians stabbed and wounded an Israeli woman and were then shot and killed outside the Jewish settlement of Ariel in the occupied West Bank on March 17, 2016. REUTERS / Baz Ratner
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Two Palestinians stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier and were then shot and killed on Thursday outside a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, the military said.
Since October, Palestinian street attacks have killed 28 Israelis and two U.S. citizens. Israeli forces have killed at least 187 Palestinians, 126 of whom Israel says were assailants. Most others were shot dead during violent protests.
In an initial statement, the military said an Israeli woman was wounded in the attack at a road junction near the settlement of Ariel, and evacuated for medical treatment. It later identified her as a soldier.
“Forces at the scene responded to the attack and shot the assailants, resulting in their deaths,” the statement said.
The surge in violence has been partly fuelled by Palestinian frustration over the collapse of U.S.-sponsored peace talks in 2014, the growth of Jewish settlements on land they seek for a future state, and Islamist calls for the destruction of Israel.
(Writing by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
