Israeli police shot dead a knife-wielding Palestinian who attempted to stab colleagues at an east Jerusalem checkpoint, a spokeswoman said on Saturday.

The 17-year-old assailant from the Al-Tur neighbourhood of annexed Arab east Jerusalem managed to get past one checkpoint but was brought down at a second near Al-Zaim without any police casualties, the spokeswoman said.

Police distributed a photograph of a knife and cleaver they said the slain suspect was carrying.