Palestinian attempts car-ramming, shot dead

Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank shot dead a Palestinian who drove at a bus stop in an attempted car-ramming attack Wednesday, a military spokeswoman told AFP.

Nobody on the Israeli side was injured in the incident near a Jewish settlement southeast of the Palestinian city of Ramallah.

"A Palestinian rammed a vehicle into a bus stop at the entrance to Kokhav Yaakov," the army said in a statement.

"In response to the immediate threat, forces fired at the attacker, resulting in his death. A knife was found in the attacker's possession."

The spokeswoman said soldiers and civilians had been standing at the stop.

The Palestinian Red Crescent named the dead man as Hussein Abu Ghosh, 24, from Qalandia refugee camp between Jerusalem and Ramallah.

An AFP journalist at the scene said the alleged attacker's vehicle, a white pickup with green Palestinian licence plates, had bullet holes in its windscreen and rear window.

It had come to a halt in front of the bus stop, just outside the settlement's closed entrance.

Later Wednesday, a Palestinian gunman opened fire at an army post near Abud village, northeast of Ramallah, the military said in a separate statement.

"Shots were fired from a passing vehicle," it said. "No injuries were sustained."

It said troops returned fire, wounding the assailant, who was given medical treatment on the scene. The extent of his injuries was not disclosed.

Since October 2015, 249 Palestinians, 40 Israelis, two Americans, a Jordanian, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have been killed, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities.

Others were shot dead during protests or clashes, while some died in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip.

On January 8 a Palestinian rammed a truck into a group of Israeli soldiers standing at the roadside as they visited a popular tourist spot in Jerusalem, killing four and wounding 17.

Many analysts say Palestinian frustration with Israel's occupation and its settlement building in the West Bank, comatose peace efforts and their own fractured leadership have helped feed the unrest.

Israel says incitement by Palestinian leaders and media is a leading cause.

Source :AFP