Two Arab men killed in separate shootings, following earlier homicide
Motorcyclist shot dead in Ramle identified as Marwan Abu Ghanem, 21; another man later shot in Musheirifa, in 70th homicide in Arab community this year, according to watchdog
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Two Arab men were killed in separate shootings in central Israel’s Ramle and in the northern village of Musheirifa, first responders and media reports said, raising the number of homicide victims from the community on Monday to three.
A motorcyclist in Ramle was hospitalized in critical condition and succumbed to his wounds Monday evening, police said. He was identified in Arabic media as Marwan Abu Ghanem, 21.
Four suspects from the nearby city of Lod were detained following a widespread manhunt and will be brought before the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday for a hearing on extending their detention, police said.
According to police, a preliminary investigation found the shooting occurred “in the context of blood vengeance amid an ongoing feud.”
Later, Umm al-Fahm police rushed to nearby Musheirifa following a report that a man had been shot, police said. The man was later declared dead. He was not immediately identified.
Officers were scanning the area in search of suspects, police said.
ضحية جريمة القتل في الرملة، الشاب مروان أبو غانم
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— موقع عرب 48 (@arab48website) March 16, 2026
On Monday morning, 30-year-old Majdi Nasser was shot dead in his car in Tira, marking the 68th Arab homicide victim since the start of 2026, the Abraham Initiatives coexistence watchdog said.
The number of Arab homicide victims in 2026 now stands at 70 — about 28 more than in the same period last year, which was the bloodiest year on record in the Arab community, with 252 homicide victims, according to the Abraham Initiatives.
The watchdog has accused National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who was appointed toward the end of 2022, of letting crime in the Arab community fester.
In 2023, Ben Gvir’s first full year in office, homicides in the Arab community soared to 244, over double the previous year.
Critics charge that Ben Gvir has done little to deal with the stranglehold organized crime has put on Arab towns, instead prioritizing fighting terrorism or lawlessness that spills into Jewish areas.
Community members say gangland activity has driven an influx of gun violence, worsening existing blood feuds between families.
The violence has cast a pall across the community, with innocent passersby regularly caught in the middle of deadly shootings. In many Arab towns, shop owners now close by sundown and parents say they are afraid to let their children leave the house.
Charlie Summers contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.