Israeli Troops Shoot Dead West Bank Knife Attacker

Israeli soldiers on Tuesday shot dead a man as he attempted to carry out a stabbing attack southwest of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, the army said.

"A short while ago, a report was received regarding an attempted stabbing attack at the Gush Etzion Junction, southwest of Bethlehem," a military statement said. "The attacker has been neutralized."

Asked for clarification, an army spokeswoman told AFP, "He is dead."

She did not give further details, but the Palestinian health ministry said it had been informed that the dead man was a Palestinian.

It spoke in a statement of "the martyrdom of a citizen -- whose identity is not yet known -- who was shot by the (Israeli) occupation forces south of Bethlehem".

Gush Etzion is a bloc of two dozen Israeli settlements and outposts near Bethlehem.

There is frequent friction at the nearby junction, which has been the site of numerous so-called lone wolf Palestinian attacks.