French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius will discuss the recent wave of sectarian attacks in Israel with his US counterpart John Kerry on Wednesday, France’s government spokesman said.

“There is an escalation (of violence) that France wants to combat,” said spokesman Stephane Le Foll, adding that Kerry and Fabius would discuss the situation in Jerusalem later in the day.

“The situation has strongly deteriorated and France will do all it can avoid an escalation,” he added.

Jerusalem has seen a series of stabbing attacks and protests by Palestinians. Three Israelis were killed on Tuesday when attackers shot at a bus and another rammed a car into pedestrians.

France, home to the largest Jewish community outside of Israel and the US, has condemned the violence as “extremely worrying and dangerous”.

Israel set up checkpoints in Palestinian neighbourhoods of annexed east Jerusalem on Wednesday as it struggled to stop the attacks that have raised fears of a full-scale uprising.