Israeli forces shoot dead Palestinian woman at West Bank checkpoint

A Palestinian woman brandishing a knife at the Qalandia checkpoint between Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank was shot dead by Israeli security forces on Wednesday, police and medical sources said.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said an unidentified "terrorist" had approached security forces at the vehicle passage of the checkpoint, ignoring calls to stop and pulling a knife before being shot in the leg.

Medics treated her at the scene and then evacuated her for further treatment, a police statement said. 

Jerusalem's Hadassah hospital pronounced her dead, with the Palestinian Health Ministry confirming a 50-year-old woman had died.

Police distributed a picture of a yellow-handled knife they said she had held.

A video of the incident circulating on social media showed a security guard shooting a woman in the leg from a short distance, the knife falling from her hand.

The woman does not pose a threat to the lives of Israeli forces at the checkpoint and appears confused in the video.

The incident took place the day after a tight Israeli general election saw Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main challenger Benny Gantz neck and neck in the race to lead negotiations on forming a new government.

Israel has been criticised for its use of lethal force and "extrajudicial killings" of Palestinians, with rights groups saying there exists a "culture of impunity" among Israeli military forces.

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Agencies contributed to this report.