Four Palestinians killed after stabbing attacks in Israel

JERUSALEM, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- Four Palestinians were killed by Israelis, and one critically wounded, after attempting to stab either police officers or a member of the public on Saturday, the latest in a month of similar attacks.

Eight Israelis have been killed in attacks by Palestinians with mostly kitchen knives during the last month, and 17 Palestinians labelled as the attackers have been killed almost immediately after they happen, according to The Guardian.

An 18-year-old Palestinian attacked a settler in Hebron and was shot by another citizen, not long before an Israeli border police officer at a nearby base was stabbed, resulting in his 16-year-old Palestinian attacker being shot.

In Jerusalem, a 16-year-old Palestinian attempted to stab an officer while being questioned and was shot dead.

A 24-year-old Palestinian stabbed and wounded an Israeli border policeman, and was shot and wounded in the leg in response. During a police body search after he'd been shot, the man pulled out a second knife and was shot dead after he tried to stab another officer.

A Palestinian man also stabbed a soldier and was shot, however his condition was unknown, according to the New York Times.

The series of recent attacks started after a drive-by shooting earlier this month that resulted in the death of two Israeli settlers in the West Bank, according to Bloomberg.

In addition to the eight Israelis and 17 Palestinians who have died during or after stabbing attacks, 17 Palestinians have also died in other skirmishes with Israeli troops in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem.

Palestinian leaders have been critical of what they call tacit approval of Israeli officers and citizens killing attackers "in cold blood."

B'Tselem, The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, said in a statement last week "no one disputes the serious nature of the events of recent days, nor the need to protect the public against stabbing and other attacks. However, it seems that too often, instead of acting in a manner consistent with the nature of each incident, police officers and soldiers are quick to shoot to kill.

Israel's defense minister praised the response by security forces, saying they had acted "with vigilance, resourcefulness and coolheadedness."