Two people were killed and at least two more were injured in four separate incidents of suspected criminal shootings on Saturday, continuing the trend of numerous criminal hits and murders in Israel in recent weeks.
A 19-year-old resident of the Arab village of Sandala in the North was killed in a shooting incident near the entrance to the Gan Ner village, south of Afula.
Police said the teen was rushed to Emek Medical Center in Afula in critical condition; medical staff at the hospital were forced to pronounce him dead soon after.
A 32-year-old resident of Gan Ner who was present at the scene of the shooting was arrested by police officers responding to the incident, who also took the weapon he used.
The investigation is ongoing but preliminary findings lead to the suspicion that a dispute on the road led to the incident, KAN reported.
Hamas threatens response to murder
Hamas expressed outrage at Omari's murder, stressing that the Palestinians would "escalate their resistance" and that the murder would not pass "without a response."
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement also condemned the murder, stating "This heinous crime is an extension of the enemy's policy against our people, the last of which was in Nablus and Tulkarm, which escalates in a serious violation that the occupation entity bears full responsibility for."
Shootings in Acre and Jisr e-Zarka
The second killing occurred when a 30-year-old resident of Acre was shot and killed in a parking lot in the city on Saturday evening. The man was identified as Salem Hamada and was known to the police for his criminal past.
He was treated at the scene by MDA medics, while he was unconscious from a head wound; he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. Local police officers began searching for the perpetrators of the crime and collecting findings at the scene.
Police also opened a probe into a separate shooting incident in Jisr e-Zarka, an Arab town on the Mediterranean coast near Caesaria, in which a 25-year-old resident was seriously injured with gun wounds.
The incident, of a criminal nature according to police, is being investigated by officers on the scene who are carrying out scans and searches of the area.
Less than an hour later, a 35-year-old man was seriously injured in a second shooting incident in Jisr e-Zarka. He was evacuated to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera for treatment.
Clashes in Gan Ner
In other violent incidents, clashes involving residents of Sandala developed near the entrance to Gan Ner. The Gilboa Regional Council advised Gan Ner residents not to exit the village at this time.
Shortly afterward, the police denied reports of the sound of shots fired from Sandala in the direction of Gan Ner village being heard and announced that its forces had dispersed the riots at the entrance to the village and kept a presence there.
Magen David Adom medics Tal Cohen and Roy Ben Yatach described the scene of the shooting: “The man who suffered a gunshot wound to his body was lying on the road unconscious, without a pulse and without breathing. We immediately began medical treatment that included stopping the bleeding and performing CPR and evacuated him in critical condition to the hospital, where the doctors continued to fight for his life, but in the end they had to pronounce him dead.”
“The incident is so foreign to the Gilboa spirit, tolerance and brotherhood that characterizes us all,” the Gilboa Regional Council said regarding the incident. “We are grieving and call on everyone to help calm the spirits and allow the police to continue handling the incident. As a council that promotes a shared life [between Jews and Arabs], it’s our responsibility and duty to show being responsible and act to preserve unity. We will continue to update later.”
Car crash in Netanya
In addition, a five-year-old pedestrian was severely injured by a car in a hit-and-run in Netanya on Saturday evening.
Traffic examiners of the Israel Police arrived at the scene and are collecting findings, with an emphasis on finding hints to locate the vehicle, which fled the scene.