Palestinian stabs Israeli soldier in West Bank: army

Jerusalem (AFP) - A Palestinian stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier near Jenin in the occupied West Bank on Sunday and was arrested, a military spokesman said.

He said the attack took place at a checkpoint on a road near the Jewish settlement of Shaked when a Palestinian got out of his car and stabbed the soldier.

The assailant was arrested and the soldier was treated at the scene for his wounds, the spokesman said.

A wave of violence in the Palestinian territories and in Jerusalem since last October has resulted in the deaths of 219 Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, Israeli authorities say.

While the number of attacks has declined in recent weeks, Palestinian fears of Israeli intentions to undermine Muslim control of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem were a key factor in the violence.

Earlier Sunday, hundreds of Jews visited the compound to mark Tisha B'av, a religious day of mourning, and several were expelled for praying, a right restricted to Muslims, police said.