Rising Violence in Arab Communities: Two More Murders Shake Israel

On Monday evening, the Arab community in Israel was rocked by another tragic incident of violence. Dr. Abdallah Qasem Awad, a pediatrician filling in at a clinic in Kafr Yasif, was shot dead in cold blood. The suspects reportedly fled the scene after opening fire on the victim, who was declared dead by paramedics upon arrival. Police have launched an investigation but have not made any arrests as of yet.

Just hours before, another homicide occurred in Lod, where a 14-year-old boy was fatally shot in the Pardes Snir neighborhood. The boy, a Ramle resident, was critically injured alongside two others. Despite efforts to save him, doctors declared the teenager dead at the hospital.

These two killings bring the total number of homicide victims within the Arab community since midnight to six. The rising tide of violence has shaken the community, with 29 Arab Israelis having lost their lives to violent incidents since the beginning of 2025 — more than double the number of Arab homicide victims compared to the same point last year.

Earlier in the day, a 46-year-old man, Yaqub Jabr, was also stabbed to death in Abu Ghosh. Police believe the attack may have been carried out by his former brother-in-law. The suspect, a 31-year-old man from Ein Rafah, has been arrested for questioning.

The violence continued overnight with a triple homicide in Abu Snan, where three young men—Wajdi Kheir, Haitem Zainati, and Natan Mashlab—were shot and killed in a suspected revenge attack, linked to a previous murder in the neighboring town of Jadeidi-Makr.

In light of the increasing violence, the Abraham Initiatives organization has petitioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to appoint a permanent national security minister who will prioritize eradicating crime in Arab society. The petition highlights the importance of restoring trust between the Arab public and law enforcement, which has been severely damaged following the tenure of former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.