Two shot dead in northern town of Shfaram, brining year’s Arab homicide toll to 134

Two men were shot dead in the northern city of Shfaram earlier today.

The victims are named as 45-year-old Noor Hariri, from Umm al-Fahm, and 33-year-old Rami Othman, from Kabul.

The pair was reportedly shot inside a car. Paramedics arrived at the scene to find them both unconscious, without a pulse, and pronounced them dead on the spot.

Police opened an investigation and are searching for suspects, law enforcement says.

The Abraham Initiatives organization, which tracks murders in Arab society, notes eight people have been killed in Shfaram since the start of the year.

The group accuses the government and police of ignoring violent crime in Arab society.

“If the government were to invest resources, deal with and cooperate with the [local] authorities, crime in Arab society would be significantly reduced. The government chooses to ignore, incite and cause harm. We must not allow this situation to continue,” the group says in a statement.

Since the start of the year, 134 Arab Israelis have been killed in violent criminal incidents.

The past two years have seen a spiking murder rate in Arab society. Though already high in previous years, the number of Arab murder victims doubled in 2023, remained at similar levels in 2024, and has continued apace this year.

Many local leaders blame law enforcement for failing to deal with the problem, citing the infrequency with which police arrest suspects in connection with murder cases.