Israel ramped up security in Jerusalem and imposed a blanket closure on Gaza and the occupied West Bank on the eve of the Jewish fast day of Yom Kippur, or the 'day of atonement,' which begins Tuesday (October 11) at sundown (1400g).
The entrance to the West Bank town of Bethlehem was almost deserted, with only a few vehicles being inspected as they crossed through the fortified checkpoint.
Heavy security was also present across Jerusalem where a Palestinian went on a shooting spree on Sunday (October 9), killing a pedestrian and a police officer before being shot dead by police, medical and law enforcement officials said.
The incident, near Israel's national police headquarters, began when shots were fired from a vehicle at people waiting at a tram stop, a police spokeswoman said.
The assailant, whom the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas said was a member of its organization, then drove off and was shot dead in an exchange of fire with police, she said.
In the past year, Palestinians, many acting alone and often with rudimentary weapons, have killed at least 35 Israelis and two visiting Americans in attacks.
During that period, at least 220 Palestinians have died in violent incidents in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Of those, 149 were identified by authorities as assailants while others were killed during clashes and protests.