Man shot to death in Haifa in suspected gangland killing
Victim, named in press as Asa’ad Khaldi from nearby Bedouin town of Ibtin, pronounced dead at scene; report indicates Khaldi clan locked in deadly feud with rival clan
A man was shot to death in a car in a suspected criminal killing in the northern city of Haifa on Sunday morning, authorities said, as the tally of victims within the Arab community continued to climb toward record levels.
Medics who rushed to the scene just after 10:30 a.m. found the victim unresponsive and suffering from multiple bullet wounds, the Magen David Adom rescue service said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said a criminal investigation had been opened into the shooting, indicating they did not suspect it was a terror attack. No suspects were named and no arrests were announced, nor was a motive identified by authorities.
Authorities said the man had been in a car on Bethlehem Street in the bay city when he was shot and killed.
The victim was identified in news reports as Asa’ad Khaldi, a middle-aged man from the nearby Bedouin town of Ibtin. There was no official confirmation of his identity.
If confirmed as the victim, Khaldi would be the 225th member of the Arab community killed in a violent slaying this year, according to a tally maintained by the Abraham Initiatives coexistence group.
According to the Ynet news site, another member of Khaldi’s family, Jezi Khaldi, was killed in August as part of a long-running conflict with a rival family. That conflict had claimed at least 16 lives over the course of a year and a half ending in August, Ynet reported at the time.
The year 2024 is currently on pace to nearly match the all-time high of 244 violent killings within Arab society, which Israel notched in 2023, according to the Abraham Initiatives.
Experts say the violence is being fueled by criminal gangs that have established footholds in many areas of Arab life and continue to jockey for control of local governments, banking, construction and other lucrative fields. Clan feuds and domestic violence against women are also major contributors.
Many Arab Israeli community leaders put the blame on the police, who they say have failed to crack down on the powerful criminal organizations amid widespread official neglect by state authorities.
Meanwhile, authorities have blamed burgeoning organized crime and the proliferation of weaponry, while some have pointed to a failure by communities to cooperate with law enforcement to root out criminals.
The Times of Israel Community.