Jerusalem, 13 October, 2026 (TPS-IL) — A 20-year-old man was shot dead in Umm al-Fahm on Tuesday morning, while another young man was slightly injured in the incident, as Israeli-Arab homicides continued to surge.
The victim was taken to Ha’Emek Medical Center in Afula in critical condition and was later pronounced dead. Police have opened an investigation into the shooting.
“We saw the injured man lying unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing, with a gunshot wound to his body,” said Sami Badran, an emergency medical technician with Magen David Adom (MDA). “We immediately began performing advanced CPR and evacuated him in an MDA intensive care unit to the hospital while resuscitating him, in critical condition.”
More than 180 Arab citizens and residents of Israel have been killed in violence and crime so far in 2026, according to figures compiled by the Abraham Initiatives, a non-profit organization that promotes Arab integration into Israeli society.
In a separate incident, Yassin al-Shawi, 23, was shot dead in the Bedouin town of Segev Shalom in the Negev on Monday night. He was taken to Soroka Medical Center in Beer-Sheva in critical condition and later pronounced dead. Another man was moderately injured.
Police are investigating the Segev Shalom shooting, with a dispute between families among the main suspicions being examined.
The surging violence is widely attributed to organized crime groups engaged in turf wars and efforts to eliminate rivals. These networks are reported to be involved in extortion, money laundering, and the trafficking of weapons, drugs, and women.
Critics, including community activists and public figures, argue that the crime wave has worsened since Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right politician, became National Security Minister in 2022. Others attribute the trend to long-standing systemic enforcement gaps and entrenched criminal networks.
