Man shot dead by Israeli police in front of TV news cameras

A man has been shot dead by Israeli police in front of news cameras, after running past a checkpoint near Jerusalem's Damascus Gate wielding what appeared to be a knife.

Warning: ITV News has stopped the film before the man is hit, but some viewers may find the footage upsetting

Dozens of rounds were fired at the man after he ignored shouts for him to stop.

Original footage, captured by the NBC News team which was preparing for a live broadcast from the location as officers carried out spot checks, shows the moment the man fell to the ground after being hit a number of times by the gunfire.

He died at the scene, situated in the mainly Palestinian area of East Jerusalem, shortly before 3.30pm local time (1.30pm BST).

One Israeli Government Minister, Yuval Steinitz, claimed the shooting was a result of "hatred" and "indoctrination".

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the man had been a "terrorist", and said officers had been responding to an attempted stabbing nearby.

The alleged incident was not caught on camera.

Mr Rosenfeld later tweeted a picture of the knife, which he said was 7.8ins (19.8cm) in length.

It comes amid heightened security across the region, after a string of deadly attacks which has left dozens dead and many more injured.

The Palestinian Health Ministry states 30 Palestinians have been killed since October 1, while the Red Crescent says more than 4,200 have been injured in the West Bank and Gaza.

Over the same period, the Red Cross says seven Israelis have been killed and 99 others injured.

Video report by ITV News Middle East correspondent Geraint Vincent: