Jerusalem, 5 July, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Two men were shot dead in separate overnight attacks in northern Israel, pushing this year’s homicide toll in the country’s Arab community to 152 as violent crime continues unabated. Police said the shootings in Deir Hanna and Umm al-Fahm are believed to be criminal in nature.
The first shooting occurred in the Lower Galilee village of Deir Hanna, where Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedics found a man in his 50s inside a vehicle suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said the victim’s identity had not yet been formally established and officers were searching for suspects.
“We found the victim unconscious inside his vehicle with severe penetrating injuries,” MDA paramedic Nazia Salih said. “After conducting medical assessments, we had no choice but to pronounce him dead because of the severity of his wounds.”
Hours later, another shooting in Umm al-Fahm left one man dead and another wounded. Emergency crews found both victims inside a vehicle after receiving reports of gunfire. A man in his 30s was pronounced dead at the scene, while a 38-year-old man was treated before being taken to HaEmek Medical Center in Afula in moderate condition.
“We found two victims inside the vehicle, one of them unconscious, without a pulse or breathing, suffering from severe penetrating injuries,” senior MDA paramedic Yosef Gabarin and paramedic Salim Saad said in a joint statement. “Despite our efforts, his injuries were fatal and we had no choice but to pronounce him dead. The second victim received treatment at the scene before being evacuated to the hospital in moderate condition.”
Police said investigators were collecting forensic evidence and searching for suspects in both cases. Authorities said the apparent motive in each shooting was criminal, although the investigations remain ongoing.
According to the Abraham Initiatives, a non-profit organization that promotes Arab integration into Israeli society, 152 members of Israel’s Arab community have been killed in violent incidents since the beginning of 2026, compared to 128 during the same period last year, an increase of nearly 19%.
The latest killings come less than a day after doctors at Haifa’s Rambam Hospital announced the death of 17-year-old Wiam Faisal, who had been critically wounded in a shooting earlier in the week. The same attack also killed 18-year-old Jonathan Khoury from Haifa. A third victim remains hospitalized in serious condition.
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.