Israeli troops on Thursday shot dead a Palestinian who tried to stab a soldier near the West Bank settlement of Ofra, the army said. "Palestinian assailant armed with a knife attempted to stab an Israel Defence Forces soldier guarding a bus stop near the community of Ofra," a statement in English said.
"Responding to threat, forces at the scene shot the assailant, resulting in his death," it said.
The Palestinian health ministry named him as Ma'en abu Qaraa, 23, from an area north-west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
A wave of Palestinian knife, gun and car-ramming attacks began a year ago, but the violence has significantly declined in recent months.