Man shot dead in Tira, police probe suspected murder

Police are investigating the suspected murder of a man shot dead on Tuesday in the predominantly-Arab city of Tira, in central Israel.

The unidentified victim was rushed to Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba in critical condition and was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.

Police received a report Tuesday afternoon of a shooting in the area. They arrived on the scene and opened an investigation. The circumstances of the shooting were not immediately clear and there were no immediate reports of arrests.

Tuesday’s shooting is one of several recent violent attacks that have taken place in the city.

A 55-year-old man was shot dead there in July. and two police officers were shot and injured in May. One was hospitalized in serious condition and the other was lightly injured.

In December, a 33-year-old owner of a shawarma restaurant was shot and seriously wounded in the establishment by 49-year-old Akel Da’es, who was then shot dead by a police officer after he fled the scene.

Arab parliamentarians and civil society organizations have decried the deadly plague of violence in their communities, where firearms and organized crime proliferate. They’ve accused Israeli authorities of failing to stem the tide of violence.

According to pro-equality NGO The Abraham Initiatives, 57 murders had taken place in Arab Israeli communities in 2020 as of early September.