Woman shot to death in southern town, son may have been target

A woman was shot to death in the southern Bedouin city of Lakiya late Sunday, marking the latest victim of a stubborn crime wave that has wracked Israel’s Arab communities.

The woman, named in reports as Lakiya resident Zinab Alsaana, 45, was rushed to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba in critical condition after being shot twice in her legs.

She was pronounced dead at the hospital.

According to initial reports carried by Hebrew-language media, Alsaana was shot while in her car alongside her son, who is thought to have been the target of an assassination attempt due to an ongoing feud. The son’s condition was not immediately known.

Police opened an investigation into the slaying. No suspects were announced.

Arab communities have seen a surge in violence in recent years. Many blame the police, who they say have failed to crack down on powerful criminal organizations and largely ignore the violence, which includes family feuds, mafia turf wars, and violence against women.

According to the Abraham Initiatives, which tracks violence in the Arab community, 83 Israeli Arabs have been killed in crime-related incidents since the beginning of the year.