Police kill knife assailant in Israel

A spokesperson for police in Jerusalem said on Saturday that the man was initially acting suspiciously in the Old City, prompting police to approach him. At that point he pulled out a knife and attempted to stab one of the officers, prompting the officers to shoot the suspect.

On Friday, a woman in a car attempted to ram police officers stationed in the West Bank and was shot and killed, while three incidents on Thursday resulted in three dead assailants and three injured police officers.

The attacks this week continue a trend of violence that has taken hold in Israel for the past three months.

Israel says the violence stems from a Palestinian campaign of incitement, but Palestinian authorities argue the violence comes from their frustration at nearly five decades of Israeli military rule coupled with the collapse of US-sponsored peace talks.

The recent violence has claimed the lives of lives of 19 Israelis, an American and an Eritrean, as well as 125 Palestinians. Many of the Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces to stop attacks in progress.

mz/bk (AP, AFP, Reuters)