Palestinian tries to stab soldiers in West Bank, is shot dead

A Palestinian man attempted to stab Israel Defense Forces soldiers outside the Palestinian city of Nablus on Sunday before troops shot and killed him, the army said.

There were no other injuries in the incident, which took place at the Hawara checkpoint near the entrance to the northern West Bank city.

The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the assailant as 31-year-old Rami Awartani.

According to the IDF, after the assailant reached the checkpoint, he exited his car and began running towards the soldiers holding a knife.

Israeli soldiers manning the checkpoint shot him dead at the scene.

An IDF spokesperson said the attempted attack was under investigation.

A knife reportedly used by a Palestinian to try and stab an IDF soldier on July 31, 2016 (IDF Spokesperson)

The incident came on the heels of a similar stabbing attempt at another West Bank checkpoint several days ago.

Last week, Israeli security guards the Qalandiya checkpoint north of Jerusalem shot a Palestinian woman in the leg after she charged at them and ignored calls to stop.

A July 26 police statement said the woman, approximately 18 years old from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Aqab, approached the checkpoint and walked into the inspection area for cars. She then ran at security guards “who told her to stop multiple times.”

The woman was lightly injured by the gunfire and Magen David Adom paramedics treated her at the scene. A police bomb disposal expert was called in to check the woman’s bag, and found a knife inside.

Since last October, 35 Israelis and four foreign nationals have been killed in a spate of Palestinian car-ramming, stabbing, shooting and bombing attacks. Some 215 Palestinians have also been killed, most of them while attempting attacks, according to Israel. Others were killed in clashes with security forces.