Palestinian woman wounds Israeli soldier

A Palestinian woman brandishing a knife stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint outside the West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday before other soldiers shot and killed her, the army said. The attack came as Israel beefed up security throughout its towns and cities to prevent attacks during Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, which began Monday night. Israeli troops also barred Palestinians from entering Israel from the West Bank and Gaza during the holiday.

Also Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said the Hamas militant group was setting itself up as a shadow government to the Palestinian Authority and needed to be dismantled. Mofaz demanded that the Palestinian Authority disqualify Hamas from running in parliamentary elections scheduled for January.

Israel has demanded Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas dismantle Palestinian militant groups. Abbas has refused, fearing a crackdown could spark a civil war.

Hamas gunmen and Palestinian police engaged in a series of gunbattles across Gaza City on Sunday that killed three people, including a police officer, and increased fears Gaza was devolving into chaos following Israel's withdrawal last month, reports the AP. I.L.