Man shot dead in vehicle in southern town of Rahat

A man was shot dead in a vehicle in the southern town of Rahat Friday night, with police launching a murder investigation into his killing.

The victim, aged around 50, was rushed to Beersheba’s Soroka Medical Center, where doctors declared him dead.

The suspected murder was the latest killing in the Arab community.

According to the anti-violence campaign group the Abraham Initiatives, 28 Arabs have been killed by violence and crime since the start of the year. Of those, 26 were Israeli citizens and two were Palestinians from East Jerusalem or the West Bank. That figure includes a man who was injured last year but died of his wounds in 2023.

Arab communities have seen a rising wave of violence in recent years. Many blame 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.