Two men shot dead in northern Arab town; man stabbed to death in Ashdod
Killings in Kafr Bara come hours after man gunned down in Haifa in apparent criminal dispute; police detain shopowner as suspect in Ashdod stabbing
Michael Horovitz is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel
Two men were shot dead at the entrance to Kafr Bara in northern Israel, in the latest incident of deadly violence in the Arab community on Thursday, shortly before another man was stabbed to death in a separate incident in Ashdod.
According to the Magen David Adom ambulance service, medics tried to treat the two victims, both in their 30s, but ended up pronouncing them dead at the scene.
The background of the shooting was unclear, and police opened an investigation into the incident. They said that the two victims were sitting in a car when they were shot.
The shooting came hours after Salah Abu Hayat, 64, was gunned down in Haifa, in an apparent dispute between feuding crime families.
The Abraham Initiatives anti-violence monitor said the killings brought the number of Arab community members who have died in violent crime since the start of the year to 128. The total for 2022 was 116.
Of this year’s victims, 116 were killed by gunfire, the watchdog said.
In a separate violent incident in Ashdod, a 25-year-old man was stabbed to death after an apparent argument with a shopowner, police and medics said.
The man was treated by medics on the scene and then taken to Assuta Medical Center while semi-conscious and in serious condition, MDA said in a statement.
The hospital said the man died from his wounds shortly after arrival.
Police said they arrested and questioned a 57-year-old shopowner suspected of murdering the man.
According to preliminary findings, police suspect an argument between the victim and suspect led to the stabbing.
Police also detained the wife of the suspect, 30, as an alleged accomplice and for interfering with the investigation.
