A Palestinian gunman shot dead two Israeli settlers who were travelling in a car in the southern West Bank on Friday, Israel's ambulance service said.

The attack took place near the Palestinian city of Hebron, not far from a Jewish settlement called Otniel, Israel's Channel 10 said.

"There are two dead," a spokesman for the Magen David Adom ambulance service said.

At least 75 Palestinians were killed by Israeli occupation forces in a wave of violence which started at the beginning of October. 14 Israelis were also died.

The current wave of protests and repression started in late July when toddler Ali Dawabsha was burned to death and three other Palestinians were severely injured after their house in the occupied West Bank was set on fire by Israeli settlers.

Palestinian protests were also triggered by an increase in Jewish visitors to Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is considered the third holiest site in Islam. Palestinians fear that Israel is preparing to allow Jewish prayers in the mosque, which are not currently allowed.

Settlement-building, racial discrimination, confiscation of identity cards, long queues at checkpoints, as well as daily clashes and the desecration of Al-Aqsa mosque, have been Palestinians' daily routine.

The anger of Palestinian residents of Jerusalem has increased in the last three years after the Israeli authorities allowed increasing numbers of Jewish settlers to storm the Al-Aqsa mosque.

The story was edited by Ahram Online.