2 Israeli soldiers wounded, Palestinian killed, in another West Bank attack

Two Israeli soldiers were wounded and a Palestinian assailant was killed in a car-ramming attack outside of Jerusalem on Friday morning, the Israeli police said.

The incident took place in Kfar Adumim, a Jewish settlement outside of Jerusalem in the West Bank.

A car, driven by a Palestinian assailant, hit two soldiers standing at a bus stop in the area, wounding both of the Israeli soldiers lightly, Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri said in a statement.

The two were evacuated to Shaare Zedek and the Hadassah Mt. Scopus hospitals, both in Jerusalem.

A citizen volunteering with rescue units who was at the scene shot and killed the Palestinian man, later identified as 30-year-old Hasib Fadi from Ramallah.

Police said the attacker had a brother who also carried out an attack against Israelis in the area.

Nineteen Israelis have died in Palestinian stabbing, shooting and vehicular attacks in the past two months, as well as a U.S. national and one Palestinian man.

More than 100 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing two-month wave of violence, with some killed in clashes with Israeli security forces, and other killed by security forces and vigilante citizens while allegedly trying to carry out attacks.

The violence was sparked by strife over the flashpoint site of the al-Aqsa mosque in east Jerusalem, holy to Jews and Muslims, and spread out to outbursts of violence throughout Israel and the Palestinian territories.

While Israeli politicians blame Palestinian incitement for the current wave of violence, Palestinian officials blame Israel for the 50-year occupation of the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip territories, where they wish to establish their own state, in accordance with the two-state solution.

With that, Israeli ministers held discussions overnight Thursday, discussing the possible collapse of the Palestinian Authority, reigning the West Bank Palestinian territories, and possible courses of action.

Israeli media outlets reported in the past week that the Israeli military and Shin Bet security agency had advised the right-wing government to take steps to strengthen the Palestinian Authority, which they said is trying to control the violence, rather than instigate it.

According to a report by the Walla! news website, Palestinian security forces thwarted about 100 planned attacks against Israelis in the past two months.

In the meeting, several of the government's right wing ministers said the collapse of the Palestinian Authority would serve Israel's interests, despite the security forces' assumptions, the Ha'aretz daily reported, adding the meeting was held amid information the Palestinian Authority would renew its diplomatic efforts against Israel on the international arena.

"The discussion focused on the possibility that Israeli military pressure, the economic crisis and Abbas' eroding legitimacy among Palestinian could combine to cause the Palestinian Authority's collapse," the daily reported.

These meetings come several days after a 24-hour visit by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who tried to help find a solution that would quell the ongoing violence, without results.

According to Israeli officials, Netanyahu backed away from assurances given during his visit to Washington earlier this month, in which he said Israel would be willing to consider some goodwill gestures to the Palestinian Authority.

In September, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the United Nations that the 1993 Oslo Accords no longer bind the Palestinian Authority as Israel has violated them.

The accords, which were meant to pave the way for a two-state solution, orchestrate security coordination between the two parties and regulate the Palestinian Authority's rule of some Palestinian territories. Endit