Israel has struggled to curb a spate of violence that has raised fears of a full-blown uprising, with more knife attacks shaking Jerusalem despite moves to set up checkpoints in Palestinian neighbourhoods and mobilise hundreds of soldiers.
As the surge in violence entered its third week today, Washington said it would send US Secretary of State John Kerry to the Middle East soon to seek to calm tensions.
The unrest has sparked fears of a third Palestinian intifada, or uprising, like those of 1987-1993 and 2000-2005, when hundreds of people were killed in near daily violence.
The first of Wednesday's attacks occurred when a man, reportedly a 20-year-old from the West Bank city of Hebron, tried to stab a security guard at an entrance to the Old City but was shot dead before harming anyone.
The other saw a 23-year-old Palestinian stab and wound a woman of around 70 near the crowded central bus station during rush hour before being shot dead by police, sparking panic among commuters.
With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under immense pressure to halt the violence and frustrated Palestinian youths defying attempts to restore calm, police said 300 Israeli soldiers were joining their patrols.
The government also announced further tough measures, including easing firearms laws for Israelis and stripping alleged attackers from east Jerusalem of their residency permits.
In his first address since the violence began, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said in televised remarks that he supported "peaceful and popular" struggle against Israel.
The wave of mainly stabbing attacks by Palestinians has spread fear in Israel, while a gun-and-knife attack on a Jerusalem bus on Tuesday killed two people.
A third Israeli was killed in Jerusalem on Tuesday when a Palestinian attacker rammed his car into pedestrians, making it the city's bloodiest day in the current wave of unrest.
All three attackers in Tuesday's incidents were from east Jerusalem, and two were shot dead.
The move to install checkpoints followed a decision by Netanyahu's security cabinet authorising police to seal off or impose a curfew on parts of Jerusalem.
The current wave of unrest has seen seven Israelis killed and dozens wounded.
