Three men were found dead in a car near Beit Berl on Tuesday night, according to United Hatzalah. Israel Police determined that the incident was criminal and related to a feud between rival families.
When the shooting began, the victims tried to escape, according to KAN News, which added that the assailant likely shot the driver, who then lost control of the vehicle and crashed head-on into a bus.
Police responded to a call regarding a shooting near Beit Berl, north of Kfar Saba, and found three young men aged 25-30, critically wounded inside their vehicle. United Hatzalah paramedics pronounced them dead at the scene after assessing their severe gunshot wounds and finding no signs of life.
KAN News reported that the men were all residents of Tira, an Arab city in central Israel. According to Israeli media outlets, 32 Arab Israelis have been murdered since the outset of 2026. The killing on Tuesday night marks the third fatal shooting in less than 48 hours.
Surge in violent crime in Israel's Arab sector
A 26-year-old man was shot and killed early Tuesday in the northern Arab town of Ibillin near Haifa, less than a day after another deadly shooting in the same town. On Monday, 50-year-old Raouf M’riessat was shot dead in a cowshed in the town and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The surge in violent crime is attributed to organized crime groups fighting turf battles and attempting to eliminate rivals. Arab criminal organizations have been involved in extortion, money laundering, and trafficking in weapons, drugs, and women.
Critics argue the crime wave has worsened since Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right politician, became National Security Minister in 2022.
On Saturday night, an estimated 40,000 Israeli Arabs and Jews demonstrated in Tel Aviv, calling on the government to take stronger measures against the surging violence.
Pesach Benson/TPS contributed to this report.