Four Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in separate incidents

Four Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces on Thursday, including an alleged attacker, medics and security officials said, as violence flared across Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.

Two Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces in Jenin, while four others suffered gunshot wounds, the Palestinian health ministry said.

The deaths were announced as the Israeli army said it was carrying out a raid in the northern West Bank city, hours after a Palestinian who allegedly stabbed an Israeli officer was shot dead in Jerusalem's Old City.

A fourth Palestinian was killed earlier Thursday after Israeli forces raided the town of Beit Duqu northwest of Jerusalem.

The latest killings came two days after an Israeli general election and amid what the UN says is the deadliest period for years in the West Bank, with deadly Israeli raids on Palestinian towns and refugee camps taking place on a near daily basis.

Israel's military said it was "currently operating in the Jenin camp" for refugees, but did not comment on the man shot dead when contacted by AFP.

The Islamic Jihad group named one of those killed as Farouq Salameh, describing him as one of their fighters.

Earlier on Thursday a man was shot dead by Israeli police in Jerusalem's Old City, after being stopped for inspection according to the force.

He then "stabbed one of the officers in the upper body" and was shot dead by two other officers, the Israeli police claimed

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa said the man was local resident 20-year-old Amer Bader.

At least 34 Palestinians and three Israelis have been killed across east Jerusalem and the West Bank since the start of October, according to an AFP tally.

Amid the ongoing raids, the Israeli army has imposed a weeks-long siege on the West Bank city of Nablus, which the Israeli military said was lifted on Thursday.

The seige imposed on October 11 had restricted travel in and out of the city for around 200,000 Palestinians, disrupting daily life, the local economy and access to medical care and education.