Man suspected of stabbing mother to death in Kiryat Malachi
Police said to believe suspect was in long-running feud with mother; data shows number of women murdered in 2024 exceeds 2023 toll
Michael Horovitz is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel
A man is suspected of stabbing his mother to death in the southern city of Kiryat Malachi, police said Tuesday.
Paramedics who arrived at the scene found the woman, in her 70s, with critical stab wounds and without vital signs, the Magen David Adom ambulance service said in a statement.
After failing to revive her, medics declared her dead, MDA said.
Police said they opened an investigation into the homicide and arrested the woman’s 30-year-old son.
Police suspect the man was in a long-running feud with his mother, according to Channel 12.
Marking International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on Monday, the Israel Democracy Institute said 31 women had been murdered in 2024 on the basis of their gender, surpassing the record of 29 in 2023.
While data by the Welfare and Social Affairs Ministry published Monday showed an overall decrease in reported cases of domestic violence over the past year, officials emphasized the lower reporting rates and the fewer women seeking help did not mean that domestic violence in Israel has waned in the past year, but rather that the ongoing war with Hamas — which started on October 7, 2023 — was making women feel less safe to report or seek help for their situation.
Officials in the Welfare Ministry believe that when the war ends, there will be a big increase in women seeking help in shelters for victims of domestic violence. Anticipating this increase, the ministry has made more rooms available at shelters around the country.
Ariella Oldfield contributed to this report.
