Israeli police say forces shot and killed a Palestinian who stabbed a security officer in the West Bank.

Spokeswoman Luba Samri said the Palestinian pulled out a knife at a checkpoint near Jerusalem on Friday night and attacked a security officer seriously wounding him. Officers at the scene opened fire and killed the Palestinian attacker, she said.Palestinian assaults, mainly stabbings, have killed 34 Israelis and two visiting Americans since they began a year ago, around the Jewish high holidays.

About 218 Palestinians have been killed during that period. Israel says the vast majority of them were attackers.

The Palestinians, as well as Israeli and international rights groups, say Israel has at times used excessive force to subdue attackers.

Source: hosted.ap.org