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Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian gunman who infiltrated the Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba on Saturday, a spokesman for the settlement said.

The gunman fired shots at a security guard outside of the settlement, and Israeli security officials fired back at the gunman, said Yehoshua Mor Yosef, a spokesman for the settlement.

It was unclear where the gunman was killed.

There is a heavy military presence around the Kiryat Arba settlement, which is near the West Bank city of Hebron. It is considered a hard-line settlement and often has been the target of Palestinian attacks.

In March two Palestinian gunmen barged into the settlement and killed a man and his wife while they were having their Sabbath dinner. The militant Islamic group Hamas claimed responsibility for that attack in which the gunmen were shot to death.

Two other attacks at the Kiryat Arba settlement occurred on Jan. 23, when gunmen opened fire, killing three Israelis, and on Jan. 17, when two Palestinian gunmen killed an Israeli man as he opened the door during the sabbath dinner.

Palestinians view Jewish settlers as legitimate targets in their struggle for independence and often target settlers and their towns. Jewish settlements are one of the greatest obstacles to an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

photo credit and caption:

An Israeli border police officer stands guard as an Israeli bulldozer demolishes a Palestinian house in east Jerusalem's village of Sur Baher, Thursday, April 3. 2003. Israeli bulldozers demolished eight houses in East Jerusalem and planned to demolish six others that had been built without permits. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

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