Body of man shot dead found in abandoned home in northern town of Umm al-Fahm

Killing brings death toll from violence in Arab community this year to 194; reports say victim was involved in drug deals

Police said Wednesday that the body of a man displaying gunshot wounds had been found in the northern town of Umm al-Fahm, in the 194th killing in the Arab community this year.

Police said that investigators were at the scene and that “at this stage, all possibilities are being investigated.”

Medics from the Magen David Adom rescue service said the man was already dead when they arrived.

The Ynet news site said the man was found by his mother not returning home for three days. No weapon was found at the scene.

It said he was known to police to have been involved in drug dealing in the city.

Since the start of the year, there have been 194 violent crime fatalities in Arab communities, compared to 81 deaths during the same period last year, according to the Abraham Initiatives organization, which tracks the figures.

The total for this year amounts to a killing every 34 hours.

Almost all of the deaths were caused by firearms, and 12 of the fatalities were women.

Last week, a mass shooting in northern Israel left five members of a Bedouin family dead.