Group: 1800 housing starts in West Bank settlements in 2015

Three Palestinian teenagers were shot and killed by Israeli security forces in two separate incidents in the West Bank on Sunday.

Earlier, Israeli troops returned fire at two Palestinian teenagers who first hurled rocks, then opened fire at the approaching army patrol in the West Bank.

On Sunday afternoon, a woman reported that a young Arab tried to stab her in the Talpiot neighbourhood in Jerusalem.

Both were in a crowd of Palestinian protesters, hurling stones at passing Israeli motorists west of the Palestinian city of Jenin.

A spokesperson with the Palestinian Red Crescent said Israeli forces prevented the society’s medics from reaching the scene immediately after the incident.

The unrest has been marked by a surge of small-scale attacks carried out by Palestinian individuals – predominantly on Israeli military targets – which have left over 25 Israelis dead, with the majority of suspected Palestinian attackers shot dead on site.

It is the latest in a wave of stabbing, shooting and car-ramming attacks by Palestinians or Israeli Arabs. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the Palestinian as 17-year-old Naim Safi of Abadiya village near Bethlehem. Her condition was described as “serious”.

Tensions are high at the site – a 17-year-old Palestinian was shot dead in a stabbing attempt there on Saturday.

The attacker was 20 years old Palestinian, according to the police.

No explosives were found on the gunmen’s bodies or in the area, police said, after roping off the area over fears they could have been carrying bombs. One officer opened fire and killed him. Both terrorists were armed with weapons.

Some 170 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since early October, allegedly during anti-Israeli attacks and violent rallies.

At least 160 Palestinians, the majority of whom Israel says were attackers, have been killed by Israeli fire. Palestinians have also been killed in clashes with Israeli forces and during demonstrations.