Five Palestinians dead, soldier wounded as West Bank violence flares

Israeli troops shot dead four Palestinians in the occupied West Bank , Palestinian officials said, and a suspected car-ramming attacker was killed after wounding an Israeli soldier, Israeli medics and the army said.

The army confirmed its troops had fired on "rioters" who attacked soldiers in two separate clashes in the West Bank overnight.

A 20-year-old woman soldier was "moderately injured and evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment" following a suspected car-ramming north of Jerusalem, the army said. Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek hospital confirmed the alleged attacker had been killed.

The West Bank has suffered spiralling violence this year, with near daily Israeli army raids leading to scores of deaths -- of Palestinian fighters and also civilians -- while Jewish settlers have been increasingly targeted by at times deadly Palestinian violence.

In Kafr Ein, near Ramallah, two brothers were killed by Israeli fire, the Palestinian health ministry said.

A third man died of bullet wounds to the head fired by Israeli troops in Beit Ummar, while a fourth Palestinian died after being shot in the chest by Israeli soldiers during clashes north of Ramallah, the ministry said.

The health ministry identified the dead in Kafr Ein as brothers Jawad Abdulrahman Rimawi, 22, and Dhafer Abdul Rahman Rimawi, 21.

The Israeli army said "a violent riot was instigated by a number of suspects," during "routine" overnight activity in the Kafr Ein area.