Palestinian Gunman Kills 5 in Israel in Third Such Attack in the Past 10 Days

The militant group Hamas praised the gunman stating, "we express our blessing to the Tel Aviv operation."

Five people were killed by a Palestinian gunman in Tel Aviv's suburb in Israel. 

(Photo: Twitter/@VoiceOf_East)

Five people were killed by a Palestinian gunman in a Tel Aviv suburb in Israel on Tuesday, 29 March, in what was the third such attack this week.

The latest attack happened on Tuesday evening in Bnei Brak, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish area with a large population.

According to a paramedic present at the scene, the shooter was shot dead by the police.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, in response to the attack, stated that Israel was "currently dealing with a new wave of terrorism," as quoted by the BBC.

The perpetrator first shot two Ukrainian men sitting outside a shop. He then started firing at a car that was passing by, which killed a man sitting inside the car.

He had enough time to shoot a fourth man before two police officers intervened. One of them died while trying to stop the shooter.

The exchange ended with the Palestinian gunman shot dead.

The attack invited widespread condemnation. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that this violence is unacceptable" and that "Israelis, like all people around the world, should be able to live in peace and without fear", Reuters reported.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also condemned the actions of the gunman, warning that "the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians will only lead to further deterioration of the situation, while we are all striving for stability".

The Palestinian militant group Hamas, however, praised the gunman stating "we express our blessing to the Tel Aviv operation".

Hamas controls the Gaza Strip.

Beersheba Attack

The attack in suburban Tel Aviv was the third of its kind in the past ten days.

On 22 March, four Israelis were killed and two others wounded by when an attacker drove his car into a cyclist (killing him) and then stabbed three others to death outside a mall in Beersheba in the southern part of Israel.

Hamas praised the attack, stating that it "salutes the executor of the heroic operation in occupied Beersheba," as quoted by The Times of Israel.

Hadera  Attack

Then, earlier this week, on 28 March, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack carried out by a pair of Arab gunmen that killed two people and wounded four in Hadera, in Northern Israel.

The two deceased were Israeli police officers, according to the authorities. The gunmen were also shot down.

(With inputs from BBC and Times of Israel)