Stabbing at West Bank settlement, attacker shot dead: Israel army

An attacker stabbed and wounded one person at a Jewish settlement on the outskirts of the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron on Thursday and was shot dead, the Israeli army said. The army described the attacker as a "terrorist," usually used to indicate Palestinian assailants.

Israeli medics said a 15-year-old was critically wounded and a 30-year-old was severely hurt at the Kiryat Arba settlement, but further details were not clear, including how the second person was injured. Initial reports from medics described the attack as a shooting before the army said it was a stabbing, but details were still emerging. "A short while ago, a terrorist infiltrated and stabbed a civilian in the community of Kiryat Arba," the army said in a statement.

"The attacker was shot, resulting in his death. Two civilians were wounded and are being evacuated to a hospital for further medical treatment." Violence since October has killed at least 211 Palestinians, 32 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese. Most of the Palestinians were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities.

Others were killed in clashes with security forces or by Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip.