Ramallah, Dec 8 (IANS): A Palestinian was killed by Israeli gunfire near a military checkpoint in the West Bank, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.

Local sources and eyewitnesses said that Israeli forces stationed at the Qalandia military checkpoint, north of Jerusalem, fired live bullets on Saturday directly at a Palestinian man, Xinhua news agency reported.

Israeli forces halted Palestinian vehicles at the checkpoint and temporarily closed it, according to eyewitnesses.

The Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry identified in a statement the victim as 27-year-old Tariq Amjad Musa Ghazawneh, whose body was sent to a hospital.

Israeli Police confirmed the incident in a statement, saying it thwarted an attack at the Qalandia checkpoint.

According to the statement, a man armed with a knife arrived at the checkpoint and fired fireworks at Israeli security forces.

It added that a civilian security guard shot dead the man on the spot, with no casualties reported among Israeli forces.