Palestinians shot dead in attempted West Bank stabbing attack

Three Palestinians attempted to stab Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank on Thursday and were shot dead, the Israeli army said.

"Three attackers, armed with knives, attempted to stab soldiers guarding the Gush Etzion junction," a statement said, adding that troops fired at the attackers.

A military spokeswoman told the AFP news agency that all three were killed.

Gush Etzion is an illegal settlement south of Jerusalem, and its junction has been a focal point in three months of Palestinian attacks targeting Israeli security forces and civilians.

Since October, 142 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, most while carrying out attacks which have killed 22 Israelis, an American and an Eritrean.

Meanwhile, Israeli security forces on Thursday announced they had arrested six members of Hamas in the West Bank for allegedly planning to "kidnap and murder an Israeli".

Three suspects from East Jerusalem and three others from Hebron were arrested in December, the army said in a statement.

"The members of the terror cell plotted to kidnap and murder an Israeli citizen... (and) planned to use this kidnapping to negotiate the release of Palestinian prisoners," the army said.

It named the group's leader as Hebron resident Maher Kawasme, 36, from Hebron and identified two other suspects as Ziad Abu Haduan, 20, and Amar Rajbi, 22, both from Jerusalem.

"Kawasme was previously convicted for plotting a terror attack on behalf of the Hamas," the statement said.

According to the statement the three suspects from Jerusalem were arrested separately.

After their detention, the other three suspects bought "chemical materials in an attempt to manufacture explosives and carry out a terror attack", it added.

Shin Bet said the arrests indicated that Hamas was planning to "execute major attacks... in order to turn the latest wave of terror into a violent intifada," or uprising.

A justice ministry spokesman told AFP that Abu Haduan and Rajbi - who are cousins - were charged in the Jerusalem District Court on Thursday for "aiding an enemy during war" and for seeking to buy arms and having contact with a "foreign agent".