Two brothers killed, two other men injured in brawl in northern Arab town

Two brothers were killed and two other men were injured Tuesday in a brawl in the northern Arab town of Majd al-Krum that involved shooting and knifing.

The first victim was 36-year-old Ahmed Manaa, who was rushed to a Nahariya hospital in critical condition with a gunshot wound but succumbed to his injuries. His brother Halil Manaa, 23, was taken to the hospital in serious condition from a gunshot wound and was operated on but later died as well.

Another victim was seriously injured from a stab wound. A fourth man, also a brother of the two men killed, suffered light wounds only.

Haaretz reported that the three brothers had apparently fought with the fourth man over an unspecified grievance. Police were investigating.

Recent days have seen repeated demonstrations in the northern Arab city of Umm al-Fahm against ongoing violence in the town and in the greater Arab community in Israel.

On Monday students and other community members, including teachers and parents, bore signs protesting the violence and marched on Umm al-Fahm’s police station.

The protests are expected to continue and the students are hoping that youth from other communities will join.

Over 60 Arab Israelis have been murdered since the start of 2019.

On Friday hundreds protested in the Wadi Ara area demanding the closure of the police station in Umm al-Fahm, saying cops were not doing enough to confront violence in their communities.

On September 20, four Arab Israelis were murdered within hours of each other. Two days later, a series of brutal crimes left one dead and several seriously injured.

The violence rocked Israel’s Arab minority and prompted its political representatives to promise to make the problem a primary issue. Joint List party leader Ayman Odeh vowed that tackling crime in Arab Israeli communities would be his main priority in the new Knesset.