Four people were murdered on Tuesday after being shot in the head in Abu Snan, an Arab town in western Galilee, according to Magen David Adom.
An MDA team called to the scene of the shooting immediately began providing first aid to those injured but were forced to declare them dead.
According to N12, one of the victims was a candidate for the local council.
Crime in the Arab sector
According to the Abraham Initiatives, 156 Arabs have been killed in 2023 so far in circumstances related to violence and crime. Of these, 147 were Israeli citizens.
This represents a dramatic increase from last year. In 2022, at this point in the year, there were 68 Arab victims of such violence, according to the Abraham Initiatives.
This year, 138 of the victims died in shootings, 79 of the victims were under 30 years old, eight have been women, and one was killed by an Israeli police officer.
One of the Arab deaths this year occurred after injuries sustained in 2022.
Israel Police is currently investigating the incident.
Later in the evening, President Isaac Herzog weighed in on the incident.
"Every citizen of the Arab society in Israel lives today in terrible fear, heavy mourning, and terrible anxieties. Each of the murdered is a world to his family and loved ones, " the president said. "This is an emergency that requires determined measures by the state to eradicate crime and violence and prevent the loss of life. My condolences to the grieving families from the last few days - from Tira to Abu Sanan."
National Unity Chairman Benny Gantz also expressed sorrow over the deaths. Additionally, he put some of the responsibility for the incident on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Four murdered, four grieving families - and the Prime Minister leaves the handling of the national challenge before us in the hands of Ben-Gvir," Gantz stated. "Arab society is in 'system failure,' and the prime minister is busy making empty statements. There are no magic solutions here. A determined and responsible policy of the entire government is required that will respond with actions on the ground. It is impossible to leave a national challenge of this magnitude in the hands of Ben Gvir. Prime Minister - the responsibility is on you."
According to Y-Net, Netanyahu will convene the subcommittee on combatting crime in Arab society for a special discussion tomorrow.
This is a developing story.