AFP, JERUSALEM: Four Palesti­nians were shot dead by Israeli forces Thursday after trying to stab them in two incidents in the southern West Bank, the army said. “Three attackers, armed with knives, attempted to stab soldiers guarding the Gush Etzion junction,” a statement said, adding that troops responded by firing at the assailants. A military spokeswoman told AFP all three were killed. Gush Etzion is a settlement bloc south of Jerusalem, and its junction has been a focal point in three months of Palestinian attacks targeting Israeli security forces and civilians. A short while later, a Palestinian armed with a knife tried to stab soldiers northeast of Hebron, a statement said. “The force thwarted the attack and shot the assailant, resulting in his death.”