Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces Thursday morning after allegedly carrying out a stabbing attack and lightly injuring an Israeli soldier in the Tel Rumeida area of Hebron, an Israeli army spokesperson said.
Israeli emergency medical services said the soldier, who was about 20 years old, was evacuated for treatment and in moderate condition.
Graphic video footage from Israeli media show the two Palestinians lying on the ground moments after they were shot dead, and a knife nearby.
According to Ma'an reports, at least 203 Palestinians have been killed since violence increased in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel in October, with a wave of small-scale attacks and attempted attacks, the majority carried out by Palestinian individuals on Israeli military targets. Almost 30 Israelis have been killed during the same time period.
US and Israeli officials have criticized Palestinian leadership for failing to condemn a number of attacks carried out by Palestinian individuals -- the majority of which have been carried out on military targets -- while critics say Israel has practiced a policy of extrajudicial executions of Palestinians.
Earlier this year, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon condemned the wave of attacks, but said that Israeli security measures were failing to "address the profound sense of alienation and despair driving some Palestinians -- especially young people."
He added: "As oppressed peoples have demonstrated throughout the ages, it is human nature to react to occupation, which often serves as a potent incubator of hate and extremism."
