Man stabbed to death in Bedouin town amid apparent family dispute

Police arrest 2, reportedly cousins of the 20-year-old victim

The scene of a shooting in which three brothers were killed near the Bedouin town of Segev Shalom, September 17, 2025. (Magen David Adom)
Illustrative: The scene of a shooting near the Bedouin town of Segev Shalom, September 17, 2025. (Magen David Adom)

A man was stabbed to death in the Bedouin community of Segev Shalom in the early hours of Sunday, police said, amid an apparent dispute between family members.

The man was named as Ayoub Al-Masalha, 20, by the Abraham Initiatives, a coexistence watchdog that tracks the violence in the Arab community.

Police said that two people were arrested in connection with the killing.

According to the Ynet news site, the two suspects were cousins of the victim.

The Abraham Initiatives said Al-Masalha’s death brought the number of Arabs killed in violent and criminal incidents in Israel since the start of 2025 to 239.

Of that number, it said, 202 were shot to death, 12 of them by police officers.

It said 120 of the victims were aged 30 and under, and eight were below the age of 18. Twenty-three of the victims were women.

According to the organization, in the same time period last year, 221 people were killed in violent and criminal incidents, meaning there has been a 9 percent increase in 2025.

Since 2023, the annual number of homicides among Arab Israelis has been double that of preceding years, with many blaming a lack of deterrence.

Police have failed to solve most murder cases in the Arab sector, allowing violent crime to go unpunished.

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