Haifa neighborhood’s shops strike in protest after 2 killed in ongoing crime wave

Residents of Haifa’s Halisa neighborhood shuttered their stores this morning as part of a general strike, after two men were gunned down in the area.

Last night, assailants shot and killed Ghalib Balqis, 34, and Suhail Abu Jabal, 26, outside a corner store in the neighborhood. Police say the shooting was part of a dispute between criminals.

A school in the neighborhood has also closed for the day as part of the strike, Walla reports. Halisa’s neighborhood committee tells the outlet that it organized the strike in opposition to the violence that has been sweeping Arab society, which has seen 55 members killed in crime-related incidents since the start of the year.

Haifa residents are expected to demonstrate this afternoon in the neighborhood and call on police to crack down on criminal organizations.

???? ג'אלב בלקיס וסוהיל אבו ג'בל נרצחו בירי בשכונת חליסה בחיפה.

ג'אלב בלקיס (בן 34) וסוהיל סובחי אבו ג'בל (בן 26) נרצחו בערב יום רביעי לאחר שנורו בשכונת חליסה בחיפה. הם סבלו מפציעות חודרות אנושות ומוות נקבע במקום. על פי דיווחים ראשוניים, שני הצעירים נמצאו מחוסרי הכרה, ללא דופק או… pic.twitter.com/xtRQ2icAdS

— Asslan Khalil (@KhalilAsslan) February 18, 2026