Six Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in a single day... as Hamas declares third intifada

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

Six Palestinians have been reportedly shot dead by the Israel Defence Force in Gaza during a spate of stabbings in Israel and the occupied West Bank.

Tensions have been high in the wake of a series of attacks by all sides on Israelis, Palestinians and Bedouins.

Amid the violence, the head of Hamas' Gaza branch has reportedly called for a third intifada.

An intifada, usually meaning "uprising", is the name given to periods of violent resistance by Palestinians against Israeli authorities and civilians.

Fear has gripped Jerusalem in the aftermath of the attacks, leading the city's mayor, Nir Barkat, to call on citizens with gun licences to carry their weapons at all times.

The attacks over the last week have left 11 dead.

A 14-year-old Israeli and a police officer were stabbed in separate incidents, while an Israeli stabbed four Arabs in the southern city of Dimona.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian woman allegedly tried to stab a security guard at a bus station in Afula, police said.

Amateur footage of the incident can be seen below:

The attempted stabbing came shortly after a Palestinian man allegedly attacked a police officer with a knife and tried to grab his gun near the entrance to the Kiryat Arba settlement in the West Bank. The officer was slightly injured and his attacker killed, police said.

Less than an hour earlier, a Palestinian used a vegetable peeler to stab and injure an Israeli teenager in Jerusalem.

Previously, two members of the Bedouin minority and two Palestinians were stabbed in Dimona by an Israeli man who allegedly told police "all Arabs are terrorists" and said he was seeking revenge for previous attacks.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "strongly condemned the harming of innocent Arabs" and said whoever uses violence will be brought to justice.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has condemned the violence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories: “I continue to be deeply concerned by violent clashes across the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel which have resulted in a number of deaths and hundreds of injuries.

“We condemn all acts of violence, including attacks by Palestinians and by Israeli settlers. We urge all sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the tensions and avoid actions that threaten to exacerbate the situation.

“Every Israeli and Palestinian has the right to live in peace and security. We understand, and share, the deep frustration on all sides at the lack of progress on the Middle East Peace Process. The current violence underlines that a just and lasting resolution that ends the occupation and delivers peace for both Israelis and Palestinians is long overdue.”