3 Palestinians die, two Israelis injured as violence escalates

One Palestinian was shot dead and two others died of wounds, while two Israelis were stabbed on Saturday in the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem as violence escalated with concerns that situation may go out of control.

Israeli police shot dead a Palestinian man who stabbed two Israelis in Jerusalem on Saturday, police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld told Xinhua, adding that one Israeli was moderately injured and the other lightly injured.

Meanwhile, two Palestinians on Saturday died of wounds after they were shot by the Israeli forces on Friday, medics said.

Jehad al-Abeed was shot at the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel when he threw stones at the Israeli soldiers. The other victim, Ahmed Sallah who was from Shu'fat refugee camp near east Jerusalem, was shot by police during clashes.

Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the Gaza health ministry, told reporters that seven people were killed in the clashes on Friday and more than 90 others wounded, nine of whom are in critical condition.

It raised the death toll of the Palestinians to 16 since the clashes began earlier this month, according to the official statistics, while more than 1,000 people were injured.

Meanwhile, four Israelis died in the past week in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and dozens injured in attacks throughout the country.

Israeli Public Radio reported on Friday night that a makeshift rocket was fired from southern Gaza Strip into Israel without causing any casualties or damages. Israel didn't retaliate in response to the rocket attack.

Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem territories, home to more than 2.5 million Palestinians, in the 1967 Mideast War. The Palestinians seek for their own state on the occupied lands, with east Jerusalem as its capital.

Hostility escalated recently due to strife over a Jerusalem flashpoint holy site, known by Jews as Temple Mount, and by Arabs as the Noble Sanctuary. Endit