Palestinian man illegally in Israel killed in suspected gang shooting

A West Bank Palestinian man who was staying in Israel illegally was shot dead overnight Wednesday in the northern town of Umm al-Fahm, and police said they were investigating the shooting as a suspected gangland killing.

Medics who arrived at the scene declared the man dead.

The Ynet news site identified him as Mahmoud Issa Alfar, 31, from Tulkarem in the West Bank.

Alfar worked in a bakery, and the gunmen were looking for a different target, according to the unsourced report, which did not say why Alfar was shot instead.

According to the report, the shooting was part of a feud between organized crime groups that has already cost the lives of more than 40 people.

It came amid a wave of deadly violence in Israel’s Arab society, which has continued to grow since 2023.

According to the Abraham Initiatives watchdog, which tracks violence in the Arab community, there have been some 200 homicides since the beginning of the year.

Last month, the Abraham Initiatives called on National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to resign over the soaring murder rate plaguing Arab society.

The organization accused the government, specifically Ben Gvir and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of having “failed miserably in dealing with crime in Arab society.”

“In any civilized country, the person in charge of dealing with such a failed phenomenon would immediately resign,” it said.