JERUSALEM – In a significant escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces on Tuesday fatally shot two Palestinian individuals suspected of attacks that left three Israelis injured.

These incidents mark the latest in a series of violent confrontations that have intensified in the region over the past few weeks.

According to the Israeli military, one suspect was shot dead after allegedly stabbing two soldiers during an encounter near Ateret, a settlement in the central West Bank. The military has stated that it is currently reviewing the circumstances surrounding this incident.

The Israeli Mada rescue service reported that the two soldiers involved suffered minor injuries.

Further south in the West Bank, the military reported that a Palestinian man was killed after allegedly carrying out a car-ramming attack, which resulted in injuries to a female soldier.

The army explained that the suspect was shot as he attempted to escape arrest near the city of Hebron, allegedly posing a threat to the soldiers involved in the operation.

The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the suspect as a 17-year-old resident of Hebron.

The Israeli army has stepped up its activities in the West Bank since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack triggered the war in Gaza.

Israel says the offensive is aimed at rooting out militants. But Palestinians say scores of stone throwers, protesters and uninvolved civilians have been killed.

In recent weeks, the West Bank has experienced a surge in settler violence against Palestinian civilians. Meanwhile, Palestinian assailants killed an Israeli man in a stabbing and car ramming attack last month.