Four murdered this weekend, with 150 murdered in Arab sector this year

The deaths mark the 150th Arab sector murder since the beginning of 2023, according to the Abraham Initiative.

 MDA ambulance and medics (illustrative). (photo credit: MDA OPERATIONAL COVERAGE)
MDA ambulance and medics (illustrative).
(photo credit: MDA OPERATIONAL COVERAGE)

The deaths mark the 150th Arab sector murder since the beginning of 2023, according to the Abraham Initiatives.

A 30-year-old man was murdered Saturday night at the entrance to the village of Tuba-Zanghariya. Magen David Adom paramedics arrived on the scene to treat him, but he was confirmed dead at the scene.

A man in his 30s was shot to death in Dahmash near Lod Saturday night and pronounced dead at Assaf HaRofeh Hospital, his mother was injured in the incident and also taken to the hospital for treatment. He has been named as Shaban Saleh Shaban. Police are currently searching for the perpetrator. 

A man in his 20s was fatally shot in the village of Zarzir Friday night, Israeli media reported.

Police responded to the incident, prompting a search for the suspect. An investigation has been opened into the matter. Police believe the murder is connected to conflict between crime-tied families.

Identified as 23-year-old Raed Girfat, he is yet another victim in the continued crime family conflict in Israel. Israeli media reported that he worked as an attendant of a parking garage prior to his death, and was the second within only a matter of hours.

Late Friday evening, 38 year old Rami Asli was already dead when police arrived at the scene of a shooting in Kfar Kara, alongside a 21-year-old who was injured. Asli and his associate were believed to be connected to the Hariri crime family, with his assassination connected to the ongoing blood feud between the Hariri and Bakri families.

Netanyahu weighs in on continued Arab sector violence

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the Subcommittee on Advancing the Fight against Crime in the Arab sector in Israel. He was joined by the Justice Minister, the National Security Minister, the Director of the National Security Council and the Director of the ISA to discuss the growing issue.

Netanyahu vowed to increase legislation to find a solution to the increasing problem.

"It is unacceptable that the Arab sector suffers from the acts of murder and violence that out-of-control criminal organizations are responsible for... the Knesset completed legislation on two important laws: The Law for the Fight against 'Protection' and a law that will restrict the use of airsoft guns," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented in early August following a continued increase in crime and murder cases in Israel's Arab sector.

"We will continue to take unceasing action to continuously and effectively strike at the criminal organizations in the Arab sector," he added.