JERUSALEM?A Palestinian gunman walked into a wedding hall in northern Israel Thursday and opened fire with an assault rifle, killing five people at a bat mitzvah and injuring 30, Israeli police said. A militant group claimed responsibility for the attack, the deadliest in more than a month.

Police earlier said the attacker threw hand grenades but witnesses and subsequent police accounts said the attacker opened fire with an M-16 and was stopped before he could throw a grenade.

The attacker had a belt of ammunition which police at first feared was a belt of explosives for a suicide attack.

“A tall man ran and screamed a few things and started shooting everywhere,” said Uriel Gad who was in the David’s Palace hall where people were celebrating at a Jewish coming of age ceremony.

People in the hall pushed the attacker outside, where he was shot and killed by police, bringing the death toll to six.