Ramallah, Nov 13 (IANS): The Israeli army has killed a Palestinian youth allegedly attempting a stabbing attack near Nablus city, northern West Bank, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.

In a statement, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on Tuesday that it was informed by the General Authority for Civil Affairs of the death of 18-year-old Walid Hussein, who was killed by Israeli army gunfire near Nablus, Xinhua news agency reported.

The statement did not provide additional details about the incident.

Meanwhile, the Israeli public radio Kan reported that Israeli forces killed a Palestinian near a military checkpoint in Nablus, claiming he had attempted to stab soldiers.

Local sources and eyewitnesses told Xinhua that Israeli forces had closed the Deir Sharaf checkpoint in both directions, confirming that the incident involved an attempted stabbing.

The West Bank has witnessed escalating violence since October 7, 2023, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 770 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Over the past few years, the Israeli military has conducted regular raids in the West Bank, which have escalated with the beginning of the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.

The escalation follows a landmark opinion in July by the International Court of Justice that declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land "illegal" and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.