Security forces arrested a suspect in last night’s shooting in a northern Israel mosque, Israel Police and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) announced in a joint statement late Thursday night.
The shooting was carried out in the Arab town of Shfaram, in northern Israel.
Officers from the Israel Police's Counterterrorism Unit (YAMAM) apprehended the suspect, while Shin Bet provided intelligence support to the forces, the statement said.
Additionally, two other suspects were arrested by counterterrorism officers, and all three suspects were transferred for joint questioning by the Shin Bet and the Israel Police’s Northern District, it added.
On Monday night, following one of the deadliest days the Arab community has experienced in recent months, Israel Police Commissioner Daniel Levy convened a special meeting with the police’s senior command staff to assess the continued fight against criminal organizations and the wave of violence in Arab society.
Five Arabs murdered in one day across Israel
The meeting comes after five people were murdered in four separate incidents in Taiba, Kalansuwa, Jaffa, and Holon within less than 12 hours. The incidents are suspected of being connected to disputes between criminal organizations and families.
The series of murders began shortly after midnight in Taiba, where Bakr Nuseirat, 19, was shot dead at the entrance to his home shortly after returning from a wedding with members of his family.
Another young man was seriously wounded, and police believe the shooting stemmed from a dispute within the extended family.
Shortly afterward, a powerful explosion occurred on Saharon Street in Jaffa. An explosive device attached to Iyad Gharb’s vehicle detonated while his six-year-old son was sitting beside him. Gharb was killed at the scene, his son was lightly wounded, and another person was moderately wounded.
Another explosion occurred later that morning, this time in Holon. Mustafa Abu Lassan, a Jaffa resident, was killed after an explosive device attached to his vehicle detonated near a gas station. Witnesses described a powerful blast that shook the area, with the vehicle bursting into flames within seconds.
Hodaya Ran and Efrat Forsher contributed to this report.