A Palestinian has been shot and killed after he and another Palestinian allegedly stabbed an Israeli at a bus stop west of Jerusalem.
Israeli police said on Thursday that two suspects attempted to get on a children's school bus in Beit Shemesh, a majority ultra-orthodox area. After they were asked why they were doing so, they attempted to stab an Israeli at the bus stop at which point they were shot by the police, witnesses said.
The Israeli, a 25-year-old man, was moderately injured, police said.
They were both taken to hospital, and Israeli police confirmed that one of the suspects died of his wounds. The second suspect was in a critical condition, a hospital spokesperson said.
The two suspects were identified as two 20-year old men from Sourif, northwest of Hebron in the occupied West Bank.
Since October 1, 52 Palestinians - including suspected attackers, unarmed demonstrators and bystanders - have been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers, while eight Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks.
Rights groups say Israeli forces have been using "disproportionate violence" against Palestinian children as at least 10 have been killed this month.
On Wednesday, at least three Palestinians - including two alleged attackers and a protester - were shot dead by Israelis, while five Israeli soldiers were injured during suspected attacks by Palestinians.
Administrative detention
In another development, the Israeli minister of defense ordered six Palestinian prisoners from Jerusalem to be placed under administrative detention on Wednesday.
Administrative detention is a controversial Israeli policy, under which prisoners, mainly Palestinians, are held without charge or trial for renewable six month periods, indefinitely.
The head of the Jerusalem Prisoners' Families Committee, Amjad Abu Asab, said Israeli authorities ruled that a Palestinian detainee identified as Rami Fakhuri, as well as two minors, Muhammad Ghaith and Fadi al-Abbasi, be placed under administrative detention.
Muhammad Mahmoud, a lawyer from prisoner rights group Addameer, told Maan news agency that three other detainees, identified as Mahmoud Eweisat, Samir Obeid and Jamal Dari were also placed in administrative detention.
Abu Asab added that nine other Palestinians from Jerusalem were put under administrative detention a few days ago.
The Palestinian Authority Committee for Prisoners' Affairs said last week that Israeli forces had detained more than 650 Palestinians since the beginning of October, most of them younger than 20 years old and detained during clashes in Jerusalem.
That number may be significantly higher by now, as Israeli authorities have announced several ongoing arrest operations.
The committee said in a statement that most of the Palestinians were detained during clashes with Israeli soldiers, or subsequently in overnight raids on the pretext of confronting Israeli soldiers.
PHOTO CAPTION
A relative of Palestinian boy Khalil Othman, 15, who was shot dead by Israeli forces on Saturday, mourns at his family house in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 10, 2015
Al-Jazeera