6 people, including children, wounded in suspected criminal shooting in Lod

8-year-old undergoing surgery after gunfire seriously wounds him; incident takes place at compound said to belong to local crime family

Six people, including two young children, were wounded Thursday evening in a suspected criminal shooting in the central city of Lod.

An 8-year-old boy seriously injured in the shooting was undergoing surgery at Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center, where the five others were also brought for treatment.

The hospital said another of the patients was 2 years old and described the rest as young, but did not list their ages. All of them were suffering light to moderate injuries.

Police said they had opened an investigation. There was no immediate announcement of arrests.

The shooting occurred at what police described as a compound in Lod, which the Walla news site identified as belonging to a local crime family.

“Another terrifying and crazy night for the Arab community. Rampant crime, serious injuries, and bullets piercing the bodies of children,” tweeted Ra’am MK Waleed Alhwashla. “In an enlightened country, those responsible today would draw conclusions” and resign, he added.

Arab communities have seen a wave of violence in recent years. Many 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.

According to the anti-violence campaign group, The Abraham Initiatives, 43 Arab Israelis have been killed in violent incidents since the start of the year.