An Israeli security officer shot dead a Palestinian man wielding a knife on Tuesday at the Gush Etzion junction on the West Bank after he allegedly tried to use it to carry out an attack.
Gush Etzion junction is situated near a cluster of Israeli settlements southwest of the Palestinian town of Bethlehem, the military said in a statement.
The scene of the attempted attack at Gush Etzion junction
(Video: TPS)
"(A) community security officer spotted a suspect approaching the junction. Following the suspicion, the security officer and an IDF soldier operated to stop the suspect by firing into the air," the statement said.
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IDF forces at the scene of the attempted attack at Gush Etzion junction
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
"The suspect threw a knife at the officer, who responded with fire and neutralized the suspect," the statement added.
The IDF said it had launched a probe into the incident and investigates whether the suspect - Ahed Ahkhalil who resides in a nearby town - acted alone. Officers searched his house and questioned family members.
No more casualties were reported.
The Palestinian health ministry confirmed Ahkhalil's death but said it did not have details of his identity.
Earlier in the week, an Israeli woman in her 30s suffered serious injuries when the car in which she was traveling came under a stone attack in the central West Bank.
The woman was identified as the wife of convicted Jewish terrorist Jack Teitel, who is currently serving two life sentences for the murder of two Palestinians.
IDF troops surrounded the nearby village of Dier Nidham in search of the perpetrators. Several suspects were arrested hours later.