Jerusalem, April 2 (IANS): A Palestinian worker on Thursday stabbed an Israeli soldier near a checkpoint in West Bank after trying to cross over into Israel without permits, Israeli officials said.

A military spokesperson, citing initial investigation, said the incident occurred as troops were approaching the separation fence near the Oranit checkpoint in the northern West Bank, where six Palestinians tried to cross into the Israeli side illegally.

One of the Palestinians attacked the 22-year-old soldier, who suffered slight wounds in the head and limbs, Israeli rescue services said in a text message sent to Xinhua news agency.

The suspect and the other Palestinians were apprehended on the spot, said the military.

Oranit is an area where Palestinians without permits often try to cross over the separation fence to find work in Israel.

The incident came a day before the Jewish Passover holiday, as Israeli security forces were on high alert for fear of militant attacks and ahead of a total closure that Israel imposes on the West Bank during the holiday, citing security reasons.

Israel seized the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war and has controlled it ever since.