REUTERS

An Israeli security guard shot and killed a knife-wielding Palestinian woman at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, police said.

There was no immediate comment from Palestinian officials about the incident, which took place at the Qalandiya crossing near the city of Ramallah.

Police said the 28-year-old woman approached the crossing and "ran towards the forces while holding a knife".

"A civilian security guard who recognised what was happening called on her to stop several times," a police statement said, adding that when the woman continued to move forward "the security guard then fired several bullets".

Police distributed a photograph of the knife they said she was carrying.

Israeli-Palestinian violence flared last month in 11 days of intense fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza. A fragile ceasefire is largely holding, though tension remains high.