New unrest hits Israel, West Bank

New violence rocked Israel and the West Bank yesterday, including a stabbing in annexed east Jerusalem, even as Israel and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas took steps to ease tensions.

The knife attack in Jerusalem's Old City, in which a Palestinian woman stabbed a Jewish man before being shot and seriously wounded, was the second in the walled heart of the city in days.

An Arab man also allegedly stabbed a soldier in central Israel and stole his weapon before being shot dead by police, while in the West Bank settlers shot and seriously wounded a Palestinian after a stone throwing incident.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu postponed a visit to Germany set for today to tackle the violence that has raged for three weeks despite appeals for calm.

Security officials from the two sides had met on Tuesday evening after the Palestinian leader said he did not want a violent escalation.

Israel lifted age restrictions from yesterday on Muslims praying at the sensitive Al-Aqsa mosque compound in an apparent bid, swiftly welcomed by Washington, to ease tensions.

In yesterday's Old City attack not far from the mosque compound, police said that an 18-year-old Palestinian woman stabbed a 35-year-old Jewish man in the back and lightly wounded him.

The man, who was armed, managed o draw his gun and shoot and seriously wound his attacker, ptolice said.

Separately, in Kiryat Gat in central Israel, police shot dead an Arab man after he allegedly wounded a soldier with a knife and took his weapon, authorities said.