Israeli security forces on Tuesday shot and killed a Palestinian who allegedly stabbed an Israeli soldier in the West Bank, the Israeli military said, as a surge in violence entered its fourth month. The alleged attack occurred at Gush Etzion Junction, where many recent incidents have taken place. The army said in a statement that "forces at the scene responded to the attack and shot the assailant, resulting in his death." A hospital spokeswoman said the soldier was lightly hurt with stab wounds to his face. Israeli forces or armed civilians have killed at least 133 Palestinians. The surge in violence has been fueled by Palestinians' frustration over Israel's 48-year occupation of land they seek for an independent state, and the expansion of settlements in those territories which were captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Palestinian leaders say a younger generation sees no hope for the future living under Israeli security restrictions and with a stifled economy. The latest round of US-brokered peace talks collapsed in April 2014. Violence has also been triggered by Muslim anger over stepped-up Israeli visits to Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, including by ultranationalist politicians. Israeli leaders says Islamist groups who call for the destruction of Israel have played a major role in inciting the recent violence. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in November vowed to expedite punitive house demolitions in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, which he said were "one of the most efficient tools" in discouraging Palestinian attacks. The controversial practice is widely used in the West Bank and resumed in east Jerusalem in November after a five-year hiatus. According to the United Nations, 19 homes of families and neighbours of Palestinian attackers were destroyed by Israel last year.
