Ramallah, Mar 18 (IANS): A Palestinian was killed by Israeli soldiers after he tried to carry out a stabbing attack near the West Bank city of Ramallah, the Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement.

Yazzan Khseib, 23, was killed on Friday after he was shot by Israeli soldiers north of the city, the statement says, without elaborating.

An Israeli army spokesman said in a press statement that a young Palestinian man tried to stab an Israeli soldier north of Ramallah, Xinhua news agency reported.

Other soldiers in the area opened fire, "neutralised" the assailant, and killed him. A knife was found with him, and no injuries were reported among the Israeli soldiers, according to the statement.

The tension between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has been rising in recent months.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said that 89 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers this year. Meanwhile, official Israeli figures said that 14 Israelis were killed in attacks carried out by Palestinians.