Ninth killing this month in Arab Israeli community as man shot near northern town

A man has been shot and killed near the entrance to Yafia, an Arab town just south of Nazareth.

The victim, a man in his 30s, is identified by Arabic outlets as Islam Rajeh Abu Ahmad. With his death, the death toll from homicides in Arab society is hiked up to nine within the first week of February.

Paramedics found the man in critical condition on the town’s perimeter and took him to the hospital, where medical staff pronounced him dead.

Police say they have opened an investigation into the lethal shooting and are searching for the perpetrators. No suspects have yet been arrested.

Arab society has witnessed a particularly bloody week after two homicides, a double homicide and two triple homicides claimed 10 people’s lives. Last year was the deadliest year for Israel’s Arab minority on record in terms of crime, however, this year stands to surpass even that if killings continue at their current pace.

Last night, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir held a situation assessment with senior police brass on violent crime in the Arab sector, after two men were shot dead in East Jerusalem. During the meeting, he urged officers to “acknowledge the silver lining” that homicides in the Jewish sector have dropped since the start of the year.