Teen shot dead by cousin in central Israel, circumstances unclear

Police apprehended a teenager from Baqa al-Gharbiya in central Israel Tuesday night after he allegedly shot his cousin to death.

Sixteen-year-old Rami Balalteh died Tuesday night after sustaining bullet wounds inflicted by a 15-year-old male, reportedly the victim’s cousin. The alleged shooter was taken into police custody and is being investigated for murder.

Haaretz reported that police are still unsure if the shooting was intentional, or a result of the two teens playing with the gun.

According to the police press release, the police hotline was contacted Tuesday night to report a shooting in Baqa al-Gharbiya, one of the predominantly Arab towns that make up the so-called Triangle in central Israel. Officers from the Baqa al-Gharbiya police station arrived at the scene of the shooting to investigate, as medical staff took the victim in critical condition, to Emek Medical Center in Afula, where he died of his wounds.

Police said the shooting suspect had gone into hiding, but the officers surrounded his hiding place, arrested him, and seized the gun.

The Abraham Initiatives nonprofit later identified the victim as Rami Balalteh. The group noted in a press release that 237 Arabs have lost their lives to criminal violence in 2023 thus far, up from 109 during the comparable period in the previous year.