Two men killed in separate shooting incidents overnight in Arab towns
One man shot dead at cafe in Zemer, another while driving to work, raising community’s 2025 death toll to 50
Two people were killed in overnight shootings that took place in the Arab-majority Triangle region, it was announced Sunday, bringing the death toll of Arab victims of violence to 50 since the start of the year.
Khaled Jamal Ghanem, in his 30s, was shot while at a cafe in Zemer in the early hours of the morning, the Magen David Adom ambulance service said. Paramedics took him to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in nearby Hadera, where he was declared dead.
A few hours later, Ahmad Nuseir Zahalka, also in his 30s, was fatally shot while driving to work in Kafr Qara.
Paramedics declared him dead at the scene, the Magen David Adom ambulance service said.
Police opened investigations into both shootings and have not yet arrested any suspects.
Since the start of 2025, 50 Arabs have been killed in violent criminal incidents, compared to 36 at the same time last year, according to the Abraham Initiatives coexistence group that tracks violence in the community.
The past few years have seen a massive uptick of violent crime in Arab society, which claimed over 200 lives annually in both 2023 and 2024.
Many community leaders blame the spiraling violence on government indifference and police neglect, pointing to law enforcement’s limited success in solving Arab sector homicides, which involve family feuds, mafia turf wars, and violence against women.
In an annual report, the Abraham Initiatives estimated that last year, law enforcement solved just under 15 percent of Arab murder cases.
