Palestinian shot dead in latest stabbing attack

A Palestinian was shot dead and another seriously wounded on Thursday after they allegedly stabbed an Israeli man, as a month-long wave of violence continues unabated.

Police spokesperson Luba Samri said both suspects were taken to hospital in serious condition, where one of them later died of his wounds. Both were residents of Beit Tzurif, a Palestinian town southeast of Jerusalem.

At around 8:00 (0500 GMT), the suspects arrived at a Jewish ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Beit Shemesh, a town west of Jerusalem, where they tried to get on a school bus but were pushed out by passengers, Samri said, adding they then stabbed a 25-year-old ultra-Orthodox man at a nearby bus station and were immediately shot by police.

The incident was the latest in a series of almost daily attacks by Palestinians and daily violent clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters.

Ten Israelis and 47 Palestinians have been killed in attacks and clashes in the month-long violence , which started amid uproar over the holy site of the al-Aqsa compound in east Jerusalem.

Diplomatic efforts to defuse the violence picked up this week, with a visit to the region by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Ban met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Netanyahu headed to Germany on Thursday, for separate meetings with Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Kerry is planned to meet with Abbas in Jordan over the weekend. Endit