A Palestinian gunman opened fire at passersby and vehicles outside the Israeli city Tel Aviv late Tuesday, killing five people in the third shooting or knife attack in a week, prompting the police to raise its alert level nationwide to "the highest possible."

The shooter was shot dead by police during the incident that took place in the city of Bnei Brak, a crowded suburb of Tel Aviv, said the police and the Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's national emergency medical service.