Israel Police is probing a 19-year-old Israeli from the northern Bedouin town of Tuba-Zanghariya on suspicion he launched a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) as a warning shot to criminal gangs in the area.
Local residents reported that the RPG launch, which took place last week, rocked the nearby area to a "shocking degree."
Footage of the launch surfaced on social media earlier this week.
התמונות האלו חריגות אפילו להשתוללות המטורפת של התקופה האחרונה:מה שאתם רואים הוא התרברבות של עבריינים בירי של טיל RPG בטובא זנגריה, ברקע אפשר להבחין ביישובי רמת הגולן.המשטרה עצרה בשעה האחרונה חשוד תושב המקום בן19 (גיא ורון) pic.twitter.com/48gjVukG70
— Asslan Khalil (@KhalilAsslan) September 6, 2023
Following the video's circulation in Israeli media, Israel Police investigators from its northern district began a probe and detained the young teen, who is suspected to have also been involved in criminal activities.
According to initial police suspicion, the RPG was fired as part of an ongoing dispute between two gangs, with the launch coming as a warning shot to the other group in the area.
Ongoing crime in Israel's northern towns
In May, Israel Police arrested 14 suspects in a large-scale arrest operation in Tuba-Zanghariya and surrounding towns in the Galilee.
They raided a number of targets in Tuba-Zanghariya, where they arrested 10 people suspected of arson, assault of a guard and more, in order to force business owners to pay protection disguised as guard services.