Man shot dead in Nazareth, latest victim of crime wave wracking Arab community
Unnamed victim aged about 30 declared dead at the scene, medics say; 25-year-old killed Friday identified as Ibrahim Mahameed, said shot in front of pregnant wife and small daughter
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A young man was shot dead in the northern city of Nazareth on Saturday, first responders said, the latest in a wave of homicides that continues unabated in Arab society.
Officers were scanning the area in search of suspects, police said. Medics said the victim was about 30 years old and was declared dead on the spot from penetrating wounds sustained in a “violent incident.” He was not immediately identified.
Meanwhile, a 25-year-old man killed in the northern Arab town of Umm al-Fahm on Friday night was identified as Ibrahim Mahameed.
The Ynet news site reported that he had been shot dead in front of his wife, who is due to give birth within days, and their 2-year-old daughter, as he got out of the family car to buy candy.
There have been over 60 Arab homicide victims since the start of 2026. The toll continues a trend that began in 2023, when the number of Arab homicide victims soared to an all-time high of 244, over double the previous year, according to the Abraham Initiatives coexistence watchdog.
Last year was the bloodiest year on record for the community, with 252 homicides, according to the watchdog.
The spike in homicides in the Arab community since 2023 overlaps with the term of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who took office at the end of 2022 and is responsible for law enforcement. Critics have accused the far-right minister and police of neglecting the Arab community.
The Times of Israel Community.