JERUSALEM: Israeli police said Friday they had killed a Palestinian after he attempted to attack officers with a knife in central Jerusalem, ahead of a major Jewish holiday. Security forces “neutralized a terrorist who had attempted to attack them with a knife, and his death was pronounced at the scene”, police said in a statement. The incident took place overnight near Damascus Gate, which leads into Jerusalem’s Old City, the police said, adding that the dead man was a 33-year-old from Jerusalem. The Palestinian news agency Wafa also reported the death, saying police had set up a military cordon around Damascus Gate and the Old City. Ahead of the Jewish New Year on September 11, prayers are being held every night at the Western Wall, a holy site for Jews that borders the Old City. The holiday period, which lasts three weeks, has seen violent incidents in the past. In September last year two Palestinians opened fire at a bus station in east Jerusalem, killing six people and wounding about 20 others.