A gunman shot dead three Israelis and injured a fourth in Har Adar near Jerusalem on Tuesday, AP reported. The attacker has been identified as a 37-year-old Palestinian, police spokesperson Luba Samri said. Security forces shot him dead after he opened fire.

The injured victim is undergoing treatment, and is said to be in critical condition.

The shooter is believed to have been hiding among Palestinian day labourers who entered the upscale community through a security checkpoint at a back gate entrance of the town, Israeli police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld said.

Since September 2015, Palestinians have reportedly killed 48 Israelis, two visiting Americans and a British tourist. Israeli forces, on the other hand, are believed to have killed more than 255 Palestinians. Israel claims that most of its targets were attackers while others died in clashes with security forces.