Three bodies found in back seat of burned car near Baqa al-Gharbiya in suspected murder

Investigators reportedly believe the victims, one of whom was 16 years old, were killed before the vehicle was torched; no arrests so far

The bodies of three men were found inside a burned vehicle in an open area between the Arab towns of Baqa al-Gharbiya and Jatt on Sunday, in an incident police believe was criminal in nature.

The three men were later identified as brothers Zain Odeh (16) and Qassem Odeh (20) and their relative Yahya Bassimi (20).

Ynet reported that all three were found in the back seat of the vehicle after firefighters extinguished the blaze.

No suspects had been arrested as of Sunday morning, and large police forces were deployed to the area, along with a police helicopter.

According to Haaretz, which cited a police source, investigators suspected the three men were killed before the vehicle was set on fire.

Police did not publicly provide details on how the men may have died or if a motive had been identified.

جريمة قتل بشعه وقعت بين باقة الغربية وجت…
العثور على ٣ جثث لشبان في سيارة مشتعلة.
لم تعرف إلى الآن هويتهم.
الشرطة تقول أن الخلفية على ما يبدو جنائية. pic.twitter.com/XPrLXWbu2J

— Atwa Abo Khrmaالاعلامي (@AtwaAbo) September 13, 2026

Magen David Adom medics said they arrived to find the vehicle engulfed in flames and were only able to approach after firefighters had completed extinguishing the fire.

Several young people who were among the first to reach the scene told Ynet they initially thought the burned vehicle was empty.

Magen David Adom medics and emergency personnel at the scene where three men were found dead inside a burning vehicle near Baqa al-Gharbiya, September 13, 2026. (Magen David Adom)

“We saw a burning car and didn’t notice the bodies,” one said. “We were surprised to hear about the three murdered people.”

The incident came amid a prolonged wave of violent crime in Israel’s Arab community. As of September 11, 173 Arab Israelis had been killed in homicides since the start of 2026, according to the Abraham Initiatives coexistence watchdog, putting the year on course to surpass previous records.

Homicides in Arab society surged to 244 in 2023, more than double the previous year, and have remained at high levels since, with many blaming far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir for inaction since he took office.