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A Palestinian woman has been shot by troops after she approached an IDF position and attempted to stab a soldier.

The incident happened at an outpost near the West Bank community of Einav, north-west of Nablus, yesterday. In a statement the IDF said: “An assailant, armed with a knife, attempted to stab a soldier at a military post.”

They added that troops “responded to the immediate threat by shooting the attacker and killing her”.

The identity of the female attacker has not been made public yet. None of the Israeli soldiers involved in the incident were injured.

A wave of attacks, mainly stabbing and vehicle rammings, has been taking place since October. They have resulted in the deaths of at least 31 Israelis, but appear to have slowed in recent weeks. However, isolated incidents continue to take place with some regularity.

An Israeli soldier was wounded after being stabbed near his home in Tel Aviv by a Palestinian teenager wielding a screwdriver. The soldier was accosted by a Palestinian, who stabbed him in his upper body, causing light to moderate injuries. The assailant fled but was soon caught by police. He was found to be a 19-year-old Palestinian from the West Bank town of Salfit.

Israeli security forces have also made a number of arrests, apprehending those thought to be responsible for recent attacks. Six Hamas operatives were arrested in connection with a bus bombing in Jerusalem in April, which injured 20 people. All of those arrested are from the Bethlehem area in the West Bank. According to the Shin Bet security agency, the group was planning additional suicide bombings, shootings and car bombings.

Meanwhile, three teenagers from the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Jabel Mukabeer were also arrested, suspected of having stabbed two elderly Israeli women who were walking in a popular local forest.