JERUSALEM, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Israeli forces shot dead a knife-wielding Palestinian after he lightly injured a soldier in the West Bank city of Hebron on Monday, the military said.

The incident took place at a flashpoint holy site, known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque and to Jews as the "Cave of the Patriarchs."

"An assailant attempted to stab a soldier adjacent to the Cave, lightly injuring him," the military said in a statement.

The soldier and other forces at the scene responded with live fire, "neutralizing the assailant," the statement read.

An Israeli military spokesperson confirmed to Xinhua that the suspect was pronounced dead.

The incident came amid tensions between Israel and Hamas group in the Gaza Strip.

Over the past seven months, Israeli forces killed at least 156 Palestinians near the fence between Gaza and Israel during protests against the crippling blockade imposed by Israel since 2007, according to Gaza Health Ministry.