Violence flares in the West Bank and East Jerusalem

Israel's military shot and killed a Palestinian who stabbed a soldier in the occupied West Bank on Saturday. It's the fourth such incident to take place in two days, in what appears to be an uptick in Israeli-Palestinian tensions.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said the Palestinian stabbed the soldier at a security checkpoint in the West Bank city of Hebron.

"In response to the immediate threat, forces at the scene shot the assailant, resulting in his death," she said.

On Friday, Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians and one Jordanian, in separate incidents in Hebron and East Jerusalem. A third Palestinian was wounded.

As with most anti-Israeli incidents carried out since October, by individuals without any central guiding hand, the reason for the surge in violence in the last 48 hours is unknown.

Israel said the violence was the result of incitement by Palestinian political and religious leaders.

Palestinians argue that it is a result of years of frustration under Israeli occupation. Palestinian leaders say the assailants are acting out in desperation over the collapse of peace talks in 2014 and illegal Israeli settlement expansion in occupied territory

Palestinians seek an independent state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

At least 227 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip since last October when a new wave of violence began.

Palestinians, many of them acting alone with basic weapons, have killed at least 33 Israelis and two visiting Americans in attacks that have waned in recent months.