Hours before his wedding, man shot and seriously injured near southern town

A man was shot and seriously injured while driving in a motorcade near the southern town of Omer on Friday, hours before his wedding was set to take place.

Photos from the scene showed a white SUV, decorated with flowers and ribbons, crashed into the barrier at the side of a road.

Police said the 26-year-old Lakiya resident took himself to the Soroka Medical Center in nearby Beersheba for treatment.

An investigation has been opened into the shooting, police said.

The victim was not identified but was reportedly a member of the Alsaana family and was involved in a feud between relatives.

According to reports, it was suspected that the shooting was revenge for the murder of a woman from the same family in Lakiya in October.

Lakiya resident Zinab Alsaana, 45, was shot twice in her legs and later pronounced dead at the hospital.

According to reports, the woman was shot while in her car alongside her son, who is thought to have been the target due to an ongoing feud.

Arab communities have seen a surge in 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.