20-year-old man shot and killed on Acre street in broad daylight
Mazen Zakhur declared dead at the hospital; police believe shooting linked to criminal dispute
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleMichael Horovitz is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel
A man was shot and killed on Friday afternoon in the northern coastal city of Acre.
Magen David Adom paramedics said they arrived on Ha’Eshel Street to find Mazen Zakhur, 20, unconscious.
Medics took Zakhur to the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, where he was declared dead.
According to reports, police believe from an initial investigation that the shooting was linked to a criminal dispute.
Arab Israeli communities have seen a surge in violence in recent years, driven mainly, but not exclusively, by organized crime.
Arab Israelis blame the police, who they say have failed to crack down on powerful criminal organizations and largely ignore the violence, which includes family feuds, mafia turf wars, and violence against women.
The Abraham Initiatives, which monitors and campaigns against violence in the Arab community, say that 28 Arab-Israelis and one Palestinian have been killed in Israel as a result of violence and crime this year. Among them, 17 have been below the age of 30.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Public Security Minister Omer Barlev have repeatedly vowed to crack down on the violence, as well as on illegal weapons.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report
The Times of Israel Community.