A Palestinian convicted of killing an Israeli soldier and wounding another in the occupied West Bank was handed two life sentences by a military court on Wednesday, the Israeli army said.

"A military court sentenced Hamas operative Malek Hamed to two life sentences for killing Sergeant Elchai Teharlev and injuring another soldier," it said.

The attack took place in April at an intersection near the Israeli settlement of Ofra, north of Ramallah.

Hamed drove his vehicle at a group of Israeli soldiers waiting at a bus stop, killing Teharlev, 20, and wounding a 19-year-old fellow soldier, the army said.

The attacker was wounded by gunfire and arrested at the scene.

A wave of violence that broke out in October 2015 has claimed the lives of at least 303 Palestinians or Israeli Arabs, 51 Israelis, two Americans, two Jordanians, one Eritrean, one Sudanese and one Briton, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities.

Others were shot dead during protests or clashes, while some were killed in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip.

source: AFP