A Palestinian opened fire at Israeli police officers outside Jerusalem's Old City today, seriously wounding two of them before being shot dead, police said.
Another Palestinian was shot dead after attacking Israeli security forces with a knife in the Old City, and a third was shot and killed after stabbing an Israeli in the central city of Petah Tikvah, according to police.
The attacks, the latest in a five-month wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence, came shortly before U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was due to arrive as part of a regional tour.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the Palestinian who carried out the shooting in Jerusalem fled the scene and was pursued by police. He said the attacker continued firing at police until he was shot and killed.
Earlier in the day, a Palestinian woman in her 50s tried to stab Israeli security forces in Jerusalem's Old City before being shot dead. No Israelis were wounded in that attack. In Petah Tikvah, a Palestinian followed an Israeli into a drinks store and stabbed him in the neck before being shot and killed.
The attacks occurred shortly before Biden was set to touch down in Israel on a two-day visit where he will meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
In recent months Palestinian attacks, mainly stabbings, have killed 28 Israelis. At least 174 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire during that time. Most of them were identified by Israel as attackers, with the rest were killed in clashes with security forces.
Palestinians say the violence stems from frustration at nearly five decades of Israeli rule over the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Israel says the unrest is fueled by Palestinian incitement.
Also today, Israeli security forces sealed shut the West Bank home of a Palestinian who killed an Israeli border policeman in a November car-ramming attack in the West Bank. Israel says home sealing and demolitions are an effective tool to deter attacks. Critics say the tactic amounts to collective punishment.
