Man shot dead in Umm al-Fahm amid spiraling crimewave in Arab community

A man was shot to death near his home in the northern city of Umm al-Fahm early Thursday morning.

Medics found Adham Ziud, 38, with serious wounds and declared him dead at the scene, according to a Magen David Adom ambulance service statement.

Police said they opened an investigation into the incident and are searching for suspects.

The Walla news site reported that the killing was thought connected to a feud between local families.

According to the report, Ziud’s wife is the sister of one of the suspects.

The car used by the gunmen was found abandoned and on fire at a different location in the city.

The anti-violence Abraham Initiatives watchdog said that since the beginning of the year, 134 members of Arab community have been killed in violent and criminal circumstances. During the same period last year there were 64 deaths, it noted.

A wave of violent crime has engulfed Israel in recent months, with shootings and bombings becoming almost regular occurrences in some neighborhoods.

A man was killed in a car bombing in Lod on Wednesday, and hours earlier, a 34-year-old man from the northern city of Tamra was fatally shot.

Many community leaders blame the crime wave on the police, who they say have failed to crack down on powerful criminal organizations and largely ignore the violence. They also point to decades of neglect and discrimination by government offices as the root cause of the problem.

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who campaigned on promises to beef up public safety and whose ministry oversees the police, has largely stayed quiet on the soaring crimewave, despite his ministry overseeing the police.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.