Palestinian tries to stab soldier in West Bank, is shot and lightly wounded

A Palestinian attempted to stab an Israeli soldier near the West Bank city of Hebron on Sunday and was shot by soldiers, the military said.

The IDF said the attempted stabbing took place at Elias Junction at the entrance to the Kiryat Arba settlement, and said it was investigating the incident.

Reports said the assailant was lightly injured, and has been taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

No Israeli troops or civilians were injured in the attempted attack.

Kiryat Arba is adjacent to the divided city of Hebron, where Palestinians live in close proximity to settlers who are guarded by Israeli troops. The flashpoint city, which is home to the Tomb of the Patriarchs, has been the scene of numerous stabbings and attempted stabbings in recent years.

A knife used by a Palestinian man in an attempted stabbing attack near the West Bank city of Hebron, November 5, 2018 (IDF spokesperson)

Last month, a Palestinian was shot dead while attempting to stab an Israeli soldier at the holy site. The soldier, who was lightly injured in the attack, struggled with the assailant briefly before fatally shooting him, the army said.