Israeli forces fatally shot a Palestinian woman in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

A ministry statement said the woman, identified as Ghufran Harun Warasneh, was shot in the chest near al-Arroub camp, north of Hebron.

Pictures and a video clip circulated on social media platforms showed the victim lying on the ground after being shot.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said Israeli forces prevented its medics from reaching the scene for about 20 minutes.

A medical source at Al-Ahli Hospital said the woman was admitted to hospital in "critical condition" before breathing her last breath.

The Israeli army, for its part, said the girl had allegedly attempted to carry out a stabbing attack. A military statement said a girl armed with a knife attempted to advance towards a soldier, prompting forces to open fire and neutralize her.

No injuries were reported among Israeli soldiers.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the killing as a "field execution."

"She was en route to her work and there were no incidents there or danger to the criminals," the ministry said in a statement.

The Palestinian Prisoners Club, an organization that monitors the welfare of Palestinians jailed by Israel, said the 31-year-old woman had been briefly jailed by Israel earlier this year. It did not immediately elaborate.

Tensions have soared following the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who worked for Al-Jazeera, and an Israeli march through a Palestinian thoroughfare in East Jerusalem.

Recent weeks have seen at least 35 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces. Rights groups say Israel often uses excessive force.