Nazareth man killed, 2nd seriously hurt in suspected gangland hit
Shooting raises 2023 death toll among Arabs in Israel to 103, is believed to be linked to bloody feud between crime families
A man was killed and a second seriously wounded in a shooting Saturday in Nazareth that was reportedly linked to a bloody feud between local crime families.
The man was brought in critical condition to the northern Arab city’s English Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The other shooting victim was undergoing surgery.
A police statement listed the age of the fatality as 25 and the other man’s as 58. The two were not immediately named.
Police launched an investigation and were searching for suspects. The force said officers were examining whether a torched car found in the area was linked to the shooting, which it described as part of “an ongoing conflict between criminals.”
Reports indicated the incident was linked to the fighting between the Hariri and Bakri organizations, which has claimed over two dozen lives over the past two years — including five killed last week in a mass shooting near Nazareth.
According to the Abraham Initiatives, an anti-violence monitoring group, at least 103 Arabs have been killed in violent circumstances since the start of the year, a major leap from the 44 slayings at this point in 2022.
Police, politicians, and community leaders have struggled over the past several years to rein in criminal activity, which has driven spiking violence.
Many Arab community leaders blame authorities and 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. The communities have also suffered from years of neglect by state authorities.
In light of the soaring crime wave, there have been growing calls for the removal of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who is in charge of the police.
