Death toll in Arab crime wave rises to 5 in past 12 hours; 3 arrested for one of the killings

Two men were shot to death early this morning, bringing the number of people killed in Arab localities over the past 12 hours to five amid an ongoing wave of violent crime.

Farid Abu Mubarak, 20, was shot on the main thoroughfare of Segev Shalom, a Bedouin town in southern Israel. In footage of the lethal shooting, a man is seen crouching behind a black car as rapid gunfire is heard. A silver hatchback is seen speeding away soon after.

Earlier, 60-year-old Hussein Salah Abu-Raqiq was shot to death in Lod. Paramedics found him with several bullet wounds, and declared him dead at the scene.

Before sunrise, three others were shot to death — a Druze sheikh in the northern village of Yarka, the 22-year-old son of Rahat’s former mayor, and Mohammad Qasem in Fureidis.

Police say they have arrested three suspects in the overnight killing of Mukhtar Abu Mdeighim, the son of Atta Abu Mdeighim, Rahat’s former mayor. The three suspects will be brought later today to the Beersheba Magistrate’s Court.

توثيق خطير للانفلات الامني في البلدات العربية❗️في الفيديو المرفق يوثق جريمة القتل التي وقعت قبل قليل في شقيب السلام:"حرب شوارع". pic.twitter.com/JghsWIU23E

— |فرات نصار|פוראת נסאר|FURAT NASSAR (@nassar_furat) February 12, 2026

Qasem’s killing was also caught on video. A masked man is seen shooting the victim point blank outside a corner store and riding away on his scooter.

This year, which began 42 days ago, has now seen 46 Arab citizens killed violently. Last year was the worst on record for violent crime targeting Arab citizens, with 252 homicide victims recorded in 2025. But 2026 stands to be even deadlier if killings continue at their current pace.