Israel army: 2 Palestinians killed after attacking soldiers

Palestinian health officials confirmed the deaths, and added that no soldiers were injured in the incidents.

Jan 8, 2016- Four Palestinians have been shot dead after trying to stab Israeli soldiers in two incidents in the occupied West Bank, Israel’s military says.

The Gush Etzion junction has been the site of many knife incidents since October, but it is unusual for such an attack to involve three Palestinians. Many of the Palestinian attackers in recent violence have come from Hebron.

The Israeli military claim three Palestinians attempted to stab soldiers at a checkpoint.

The assailants in Gush Etzion were named as Ahmed Kawazbeh, 21, Muhanad Kawazbeh, 20, and Alaa Kawazbeh, 20.

The fourth Palestinian killed north of Hebron was 16-year-old Khalil Mohammad Shalaldeh.

The circumstances of several Palestinian deaths have been disputed, with investigations by rights groups into a number of cases concluding that Israeli forces were implementing extrajudicial executions against Palestinians who posed no threat at the time of their death.

Meantime Israeli security forces and armed civilians have killed at least 139 Palestinians, mostly when in attacks or attempted assaults.

Some 22 Israelis and 142 Palestinians have been killed in three months of violence, which some have branded a third uprising.

The surge in attacks has been partly fueled by Palestinian frustration over the collapse of U.S.-sponsored peace talks in 2014, the growth of Jewish settlements on land they seek for a future state and Islamist calls for the destruction of Israel.

Shalaledeh’s brother, Mohammad Shalaldeh, died after clashes with Israeli forces in November.