Palestinian shot dead after attempting attack on Israeli soldiers in West Bank

A knife wielding Palestinian man was shot dead on Friday after he tried to attack soldiers at the Gush Etzion Junction in the West Bank, the Israel Army said.

"The Palestinian arrived at the scene armed with a knife and ran toward IDF soldiers. Forces fired shots at the assailant. No injuries to the IDF forces were reported," The Times of Israel quoted an army statement, as saying.

The junction, in the Etzion Bloc south of Jerusalem, was a focal point for the Palestinian attacks during a wave of violence that broke out in 2015 and has since petered out.

The stabbing came amid heightened tensions in Jerusalem and the West Bank after a week of clashes over security arrangements at the Temple Mount compound also known as the Noble Sanctuary to Muslims.

The Israeli authorities installed metal detectors and cameras at the compound of the holy site following a deadly shootout on July 14. This led to Palestinians protesting the move as they view the security move as Israel asserting further control over the site, which houses the revered Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

Palestinian rioting was reported on Friday in several locations in the West Bank, including in nearby Bethlehem and Hebron.