Man killed, another wounded in shooting in northern town of Yarka

Car lot owner and his employee gunned down, reportedly by assailants on motorcycle; this year’s death toll in Arab Israeli community from violence rises to 24

By Charlie Summers

You will receive email alerts from this author. Manage alert preferences on your profile page

You will no longer receive email alerts from this author. Manage alert preferences on your profile page

27 January 2026, 2:54 pm

Edit

Illustrative: A Magen David Adom ambulance drives through the streets of Haifa, northern Israel, on October 23, 2024. (Michael Giladi/Flash90)

A man was shot dead and another was seriously injured Tuesday at a car dealership in Yarka, a northern Druze town, in an attack that the Israel Police said was part of a criminal feud.

The victim was identified in Hebrew media reports as Timor Atallah, in his 30s.

Atallah, the owner of the lot, and his employee were shot by assailants riding a motorcycle, the Ynet new site reported.

Medics took both victims to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, where Atallah succumbed to his wounds. The other man targeted in the shooting is in serious condition, police said in a statement.

Police said the shooting was related to a “feud between criminals” and that the force launched an investigation. No suspects were immediately arrested.

Frustration in Arab Israeli society has been mounting over the deadly criminal violence that, in less than a month into the new year, has claimed 24 lives in the community.

Residents of Nazareth in northern Israel protest over surging homicide rate among Arab minority after a man was killed in the city on January 24, 2026. (Courtesy/Hadash)

Overnight, Mohammad Joss Mahamid died of his injuries two weeks after being shot in the northern Arab town of Umm Al-Fahm.

On Saturday, 37-year-old Jamal Mazawi was shot dead in Nazareth, also in the north. He was killed as Arab protesters gathered in several towns in the north to decry the police failure to curb surging gangland violence, saying law enforcement has not done enough to stop the bloodletting.

Last year, the Arab Israeli community had its deadliest year on record, with 252 homicide victims, according to figures from the anti-violence watchdog the Abraham Initiatives.

Arab cities and towns throughout Israel went on a daylong strike last Thursday, decrying police’s failure to stem the near-daily homicides in the community. The day was capped off by a massive march in the northern city of Sakhnin, which drew tens of thousands of people.

The leading umbrella organization in Arab society, the High Follow-Up Committee, has called another massive rally to be held in Tel Aviv on Saturday.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who oversees police, has blamed both Arab culture and local politicians for the crime wave. Since the far-right minister entered the role in 2023, the homicide rate in Arab society has doubled.