Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian near the illegal Beit Hadassah settlement in Hebron in the second alleged stabbing attack in the city on Thursday.

Witnesses told Ma’an the incident took place in Shuhada Street nearby the settlement.

A Palestinian woman in the area at the time told Ma’an that she “heard gunshots and saw Israeli soldiers and settlers firing at a young Palestinian man while he was walking down a staircase,” adding that she did not see anything in his hands.

The Israeli army said in an initial report that a “Palestinian assailant” attempted to stab an Israeli soldier “at a security post in Hebron” before being shot on site.

No Israeli injuries have been reported.

The Palestinian was identified as Farouk Abdel Qader Omar Sidr, 19, from Hebron.

Hours before, a 23-year-old Mahdi Mohammad Ramadan al-Muhtasib was shot dead by an Israeli border policeman near the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron after an alleged attack on an Israeli soldier.

A soldier received light injuries to his face before the suspect was shot dead on scene, according to reports by Israeli media that were disputed by eyewitnesses who said a soldier dropped a knife next to his dead body.

Ma’an could not verify claims that a knife was planted at the scene.

Following Thursday’s second alleged attack, a Palestinian resident told Ma’an that “Israeli soldiers have been threatening to kill us if we don’t evacuate Shuhada Street.”

Israeli soldiers and settlers stormed the home of Mufid Sharabati located on the street shortly after the second Palestinian was killed, a Ma’an reporter said, adding that a number of activists were present at the home during the raid.

A lawyer for the Independent Commission of Human Rights, Farid al-Atrash, said: “A group of armed settlers attacked the house under protection of Israeli soldiers.”

He and a group were in the home at the time after being chased by Israeli soldiers after attempting to access the scene of the second alleged attack.

Beit Hadassah, where Thursday’s second alleged attack took place, was the first of four illegal settlements to be established in downtown Hebron.

They are home to over 500 Israeli settlers who are protected by thousands of armed Israeli forces who regularly clash with Palestinian locals living in the area.

Well over ten Palestinians have been killed in the Hebron district this month, five of whom were children.

Over 60 Palestinians have been killed this month as rights group call for Israel to halt “unlawful” killings of Palestinians who have not posed a great enough threat at the time of their death for the deliberate use of force to be permissible by Israeli forces.

(Ma’an)