Israeli forces on Thursday shot and killed two Palestinians, including one who stabbed a soldier, Israeli authorities said, the latest in a string of clashes in the volatile West Bank city of Hebron.

In recent days, Hebron has become a focus of clashes following six weeks of Israeli-Palestinian violence. The city, where several hundred Jewish settlers live in fortified enclaves amid tens of thousands of Palestinians, is a frequent flashpoint of unrest.

In the latest violence, police said a 23-year-old Palestinian man stabbed a soldier in the head, wounding him lightly, and then attempted to stab another security officer before Israeli forces shot and killed him. The Palestinian approached soldiers at a checkpoint as clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli troops erupted nearby, police said.

Later, Israeli forces shot and killed another Palestinian who the military said attempted to stab an Israeli soldier. But a Palestinian witness at the scene, community activist Issa Amro, challenged the Israeli account, saying he had not seen a knife. Palestinians have repeatedly accused the army of using unnecessary or excessive force, a charge that Israel denies.

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