Man shot dead in southern Bedouin city of Rahat

A 25-year-old man is shot dead in the southern Bedouin city of Rahat, in the latest apparent homicide to plague the Arab community.

The victim is identified as Adam Adel al-Ketnani.

Medics arrived at the scene and provided him with first aid before transferring him to the nearby Soroka Medical Center in critical condition where doctors were forced to pronounce his death.

Police say they have opened an investigation into the incident, though probes of Arab murders rarely lead to arrests, let alone a conviction.

According to The Abraham Initiatives, a group that campaigns against violence, there have been 74 Arabs killed in violent circumstances since the beginning of the year. The watchdog says 66 of them were killed by gunfire.

By this date last year, 28 Arab community members had been killed.

Over 90 suspected murders have taken place since the start of 2023, more than double last year’s rate.