8-year-old killed, several others hurt in shooting on Bedouin wedding convoy in south
18 arrested as cops suspect boy targeted in what police say was a revenge attack related to ongoing feud; separately, man shot dead at barbershop in central Arab town
An eight-year-old boy was shot dead near the southern city of Tel Sheva while partaking in a wedding convoy Friday, police and paramedics said.
The shooting injured six other people, one of whom was in serious condition, with the other five with minor injuries.
The victim, Yousef Awad Abu Rqayiq, succumbed to his wounds after being taken by paramedics to Soroka Medical Center.
The Haaretz daily quoted eyewitnesses saying the boy was shot at close range, raising police’s suspicions that he was the intended target of the shooting.
Over 80 bullet casings were recovered at the crime scene.
Police said Saturday evening that the force had arrested 18 suspects thought to be involved in the shooting.
“Over the course of the night and today, 18 participants in the criminal, bloody conflict between families were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the incident and planning a revenge attack,” said a law enforcement spokesperson.
Police said the shooting incident was a revenge attack carried out as part of an ongoing blood feud between families in Tel Sheva.
רק בן 8: יוסף אבו רקייק נרצח בירי לעבר שיירת חתונה בתל שבע | לידיעה המלאה >>> https://t.co/AldkyibsrE@Itsik_zuarets pic.twitter.com/iyIZ8qPJk0
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 9, 2025
In an unrelated incident, a man in his 20s was also shot dead Friday at a barbershop in the central town of Kfar Bara. The victim was later named as Tamer Assi.
קורבן הירי במספרה בכפר ברא הוא תאמר עאסי. הנרצח הרביעי ב-48 השעות האחרונות בחברה הערבית pic.twitter.com/D2WDUimu4P
— Yasser Okbi (@OkbiYasser) May 9, 2025
Violent crime in Arab society has spiraled in recent years, claiming over 90 lives since the start of 2025, with many community leaders blaming police for not doing enough.
Speaking anonymously to Channel 12, a Tel Sheva resident said: “There is no police in the south. There are no officers, there is no presence on the roads… They [police] come here once every few months, put on a show for Minister [Itamar] Ben Gvir, do a silly operation and then disappear.”
Earlier this month, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visited Rahat for a large police operation in the Bedouin city meant to combat crime in the Arab sector. The operation focused mainly on financial crime and illegal construction, leading to asset seizures and raids on dozens of businesses.
On the same day that Ben Gvir, police chief Danny Levy and over 1,000 police officers were in Rahat, a masked man entered a laundromat in the city and shot an employee, moderately injuring him. The culprit has not been arrested.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.