Israel: 2 Palestinians who tried to stab soldiers shot dead

Israeli troops advance toward Palestinian demonstrators trying to open the main road to the West Bank village of Aboud, near Ramallah, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. Israeli military blocked the road after a soldier was stabbed at a checkpoint nearby recently. AP FILE PHOTO

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military says two Palestinians were shot dead after trying to stab soldiers at a West Bank checkpoint.

Saturday’s incident is the latest in more than three months of near-daily Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers that have killed 21 people, mostly in stabbings, shootings and car-ramming assaults.

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At least 137 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire. About two-thirds of them are said by Israel to be attackers, while the others were killed in clashes with troops.

Israel says the bloodshed is fueled by a Palestinian campaign of incitement. Palestinians say it stems from frustration at decades of occupation.

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