Man killed in Petah Tikva car explosion in suspected organized crime hit
Second person in vehicle moderately injured in blast as wave of violent crime continues; man shot Sunday in Ramat Gan dies of injuries
A man was killed and another wounded when a car exploded in the central city of Petah Tikva on Monday in a suspected organized crime hit.
The blast was the latest violence following a bloody weekend that saw eight homicides within a 48-hour period, and another shooting that became fatal when one of the victims died later of his wounds.
Israel Police said they received a report of a car in flames on Jabotinksky Street in Petah Tikva.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service said medics declared a man in his 30s dead at the scene.
Rescuers said the dead man was trapped inside the burning car while another was found lying beside the vehicle with moderate injuries to his lower body.
The injured man, a resident of Rishon Lezion aged around 30, was taken to Beilinson Hospital in the city, where doctors said his condition was stable.
Police closed a section of Jabotinsky Street while forensic teams combed the area for evidence.
Eyewitness Ido Levi told the Ynet outlet that he was at a light rail stop on the other side of the street when he heard “a very loud explosion” and saw smoke and flames coming from the car. He said the blast caused panic and halted the light rail service.
פ"ת: לפני זמן קצר אירע פיצוץ רכב בפתח תקווה ברחוב היצירה על ז'בוטינסקי באירוע נקבע מותו של בן 20 ופציעתו של אדם נוסף. במשטרה פתחו בדיקת נסיבות האירוע @N12News pic.twitter.com/BpiFxM8Cv4
— אור רביד | Or Ravid (@OrRavid) November 18, 2024
Security guards rushed to help the people in the burning car, Levi said.
Meanwhile, a man who was shot in Ramat Gan on Sunday died of his injuries, police said Monday.
According to Channel 13, the deceased man had opened fire at an individual who was under the protection of an armed guard. The armed guard returned fire, killing the gunman.
The deaths came after eight people were killed in a 48-hour period in a wave of violent crime sweeping the Arab community.
Many Arab Israeli community leaders put the blame for the spiraling crime rates on 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.
Since the beginning of 2024, 213 Arabs have been killed in criminal incidents, according to the Abraham Initiatives, a coexistence watchdog that tracks crime statistics.
Last Wednesday Israel Police Chief Daniel Levy told the Knesset National Security Committee that despite the wave of deaths, “the crime figures for the Arab sector are in a great place” and that the media is making things seem worse than they are.
Levy asserted that “in contrast to what is being said in the media… we are seeing a decline in homicides and shootings.”
He also claimed that car thefts are down.
“You should be proud that the police are bringing down the crime statistics,” said Levy, who took over the force just under three months ago.
His remarks were lambasted by opposition MKs at the meeting, among then Labor MK Gilad Kariv, who said the police chief’s claims “don’t match the numbers.”
