Three Palestinians shot dead in alleged attacks on Israelis in occupied West Bank

Shooting and car-ramming are the latest incidents in a six-month-long wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence that has left more than 200 dead.

Israeli security inspect the scene of shooting near the settlement of Kiryat Arba in the West Bank, where two Palestinians on March 14, 2016, allegedly opened fire on pedestrians at a bus stop. MahmouShow more

JERUSALEM // Israeli forces shot dead three Palestinians who allegedly carried out two attacks on Israelis in the southern occupied West Bank on Monday.

The military says two Palestinians opened fire on pedestrians at a bus stop near the settlement of Kiryat Arba, lightly wounding an Israeli soldier before they were shot dead.

Minutes later, a Palestinian drove his car into an army vehicle responding to the previous attack. He wounded three soldiers before he was shot and killed.

The Palestinian health ministry named the men as Qassem Abu Ouda, 30, and Amir Juneidi, 22, from Hebron. A military spokeswoman said the shooters used a pistol and a submachine-gun.

The third person, Yousef Taraya, 18, was from the nearby village of Bani Naim.

Hebron has long been a source of tensions, with several hundred Israeli settlers living in the heart of the city under heavy military guard among around 200,000 Palestinians.

The alleged attacks on Monday were the latest in a six-month-long wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence that shown no signs of abating.

Since October 1, violence has killed 193 Palestinians, 28 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese.

Most of the Palestinians were killed while reportedly carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks. Others were shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes or demonstrations, while some were killed in air strikes on Gaza.

Analysts say young Palestinians are fed up with Israeli occupation, while Israel blames incitement by Palestinian leaders and media as a main cause of the violence.

US secretary of state John Kerry said Sunday that a solution to the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict required the efforts of the global community. His comments came as France prepared to present proposals to revive the peace process to EU foreign ministers.

“Obviously we are all looking for a way forward. The United States and myself remain deeply, deeply committed to a two-state solution,” Mr Kerry said after a Paris meeting with his counterparts from France, Italy, Britain, Germany and the EU. “At the moment it is a difficult one, because of the violence that has been taking place, and there are not many people in Israel or in the region itself right now that believe in the possibilities of peace because of those levels of violence.”

French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault was on Monday planning to propose a revival of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks to EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels.

“The Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains but is getting worse, the status quo cannot last,” Mr Ayrault said.

The newly appointed French foreign minister visited Cairo last week to drum up support for the initiative to hold an international conference by the summer to revive peace talks.

A previous round of talks brokered by Mr Kerry collapsed in April 2014.

* Agence France-Presse and Associated Press