Four killings within 24 hours rock Arab community, raising year’s death toll to 209
Police say 7 arrested in connection with separate suspected homicides; police chief holds special assessment, updates Ben Gvir on investigations
Michael Horovitz is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel
Four Arabs were killed in separate suspected homicides over a 24 hour period, as the crime wave in the community continued to spiral, according to police and data from a watchdog.
In the latest killing, Mohammed Nur Yahya, 30, was shot dead in the central town of Kafr Qara in the early hours of Saturday.
Paramedics who arrived on the scene declared him dead, the Magen David Adom ambulance service said in a statement.
Police said they increased their presence in the city following the shooting.
Separately, Faraj Abu Arar, 20, was shot dead in the southern town of Ar’ara BaNegev, medics said, with another man moderately wounded in the same incident.
Medics took both those victims to the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, where Abu Arar was declared dead.
In Lod on Friday, Luay Sheikh Youssef, 23, was shot on Rabbi Akiva Street and succumbed to his wounds at hospital, police said.
Also on Friday, Fakhri Abu Medigam, 25, was stabbed to death and another man was critically wounded in the southern Bedouin city of Rahat.
Paramedics took both men to Soroka Medical Center, where Abu Medigam was declared dead while the other individual was hospitalized for treatment.
Police said in a statement Saturday they have opened investigations into the killings. It said officers have so far found the weapons used in some of the incidents, and seven people have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the killings.
On Saturday morning, Israel Police Commissioner David Levy convened a special situational assessment alongside top commanders to receive updates on the probes, and also updated far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on the matters, police said.
Many Arab Israeli community leaders put the blame for the spiraling crime rates on 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.
Since the beginning of 2024, 209 Arabs have been killed in criminal incidents, according to the Abraham Initiatives, a coexistence watchdog that tracks crime statistics.
