Man, 23, shot dead in southern Bedouin city of Rahat

A man was shot dead Thursday morning in the southern Bedouin city of Rahat, Israel Police said in a statement.

It was the latest incident of deadly violence in the Arab community that has claimed dozens of lives since the beginning of the year.

Magen David Adom emergency service medics called to the shooting said they found the man, 23, with multiple gunshot wounds and no vital signs. Medics declared him dead at the scene.

Police said they opened an investigation into the incident.

The incident came as authorities struggle to stop a wave of violent crime in Israel’s Arab community that included four homicides in the space of 48 hours in a single weekend earlier this month.

Arab communities have seen a surge in violence in recent years. Many blame the police, who they say have failed to crack down on powerful criminal organizations and largely ignore the violence, which includes family feuds, mafia turf wars, and violence against women.

According to the Abraham Initiatives, a non-government group campaigning against violence in the Arab community, since the beginning of 2022 over 50 Arabs and Palestinians have been killed in violence or crime-related circumstances in Israel, mostly in shooting incidents.