A Palestinian youth stabbed and seriously wounded a Zionist border policeman outside Jerusalem’s Old City on Sunday, with the latter managing to shoot and critically injure him.

A Palestinian youth stabbed and seriously wounded a Zionist border policeman outside Jerusalem's Old City on Sunday, with the latter managing to shoot and critically injure him.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the attacker was a Palestinian aged around 18 who came from the West Bank but gave no further details on his identity, citing a court gag order.

She said he had attacked the police officer from behind, stabbing him in the neck.

"The border police officer, who was very seriously wounded, managed to see the Palestinian youth, fired at him and wounded him critically," she said in a statement which had initially described the officer's condition as critical.