Tel Aviv gunman shot dead in northern Israel

An Israeli Arab suspected of killing three people in Tel Aviv on New Year’s Day has been shot dead by security forces.

Nashat Melhem, 29, was hunted down to a mosque in Ar’ara in the Galilee, where he died in an exchange of fire.

The attacks sparked a huge hunt and security alert across the country.

Chilling CCVT footage emerged after the Tel Aviv attack from a nearby shop showed Melhem placing his hold-all on a shopping trolley outside the bar, removing a sub-machine gun and opening fire on a group of friends celebrating a birthday, before running away.

Security analysts noted the calm and professional manner of the attack, suggesting the assailant had been well-trained, leading to initial suggestions that it may have been a targeted assassination or a gangland killing.

Melhem’s sister and two brothers were taken in for questioning. His father had appealed for Melhem to hand himself in.