West Bank shooting: Three Israelis shot dead as Palestinian gunman opens fire

Three Israelis were shot dead today after a Palestinian gunman opened fire at the entrance to a West Bank settlement.

A fourth was critically wounded in one of the deadliest attacks in a two-year spate of violence in the country.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the attacker was a 37-year-old Palestinian who approached the back gate entrance of the Har Adar settlement, hiding among fellow Palestinian day labourers who were being checked by security forces.

She said he aroused their suspicions and was asked to stop, when he pulled out a weapon and began firing. The attacker was shot dead by other forces at the scene.

Three men in their 20s and 30s were killed and a fourth was taken to hospital in a critical condition. The dead men were reported to be two security guards and a border police officer.

Har Adar is a community west of Jerusalem, straddling the line between the West Bank and Israel proper and an unusual target in the wave of violence.

Since September 2015, Palestinians have killed 48 Israelis, two visiting Americans and a British tourist in stabbings, shooting and car-ramming attacks.

During that same time, Israeli forces have killed more than 255 Palestinians - Israel says most of them were attackers, others died in clashes with Israeli forces.

Most of the attacks have been stabbings against security forces, primarily in the West Bank.