Man shot to death as crime spree claims 91st Arab victim this year

A 50-year-old man was shot and killed Monday in northern Israel, marking the 91st fatality as a result of violence in the Israeli Arab community since the beginning of the year.

The man, Khaled Khaldi, was evacuated to Rambam Hospital in Haifa where he was pronounced dead. Another man was lightly wounded in the shooting.

The slaying took place in tiny Bedouin hamlet of Khawalad.

Following the incident, police patrolled the village in search of the shooter. Reports suggested that the shooting was part of an ongoing criminal dispute.

According to the Abraham Initiatives organization, which tracks murder statistics in the Arab community, this is the 91st killing in 2023, compared to 34 slayings at this time last year.

The shooting occurred as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Arab lawmakers to discuss ways to combat the escalating violence in the Arab community.

The Knesset members from the Hadash-Ta’al party agreed with Netanyahu to form a committee for fighting violence in the Arab community that the prime minister himself will head. Lawmakers from Ra’am boycotted the meeting due to disagreements with Hadash-Ta’al.