Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir led a mass raid targeting criminal groups and families in Ramle and Lod on Friday morning in response to the criminal attack that took place in Ramle on Thursday night, which left four civilians dead, including children.
The operation in the areas of Ramle and Lod was joined by 500 police officers on the ground and overseen by Ben-Gvir. While the police claimed they had made arrests during the operation, none of them were related to the Thursday car explosion in Ramle that left four dead, KAN reported.
The explosion that preceded the raid killed four civilians, including 14-year-old Muhammad Abu Khalawa, along with Du’aa Abu Khalawa, Sila Abu Khalawa, and Lin Mughrabi.
Additionally, it was reported later on Friday by Israeli media that a baby was seriously wounded from the explosion and is in critical condition.
The police reported seizing weapons during the raid and added that illegal residents were discovered.
Residents of Ramle mobilized on Friday morning, demanding that Ben-Gvir strengthen security and collect weapons in the city after continuous criminal attacks have been carried out recently in the area.
Ben-Gvir determined to cut crime 'off by the head'
“I am closely monitoring the dedicated work of the police and special units. All of whom are doing sacred work,” Ben-Gvir said regarding the operation to target criminal families in the area.
אחרי עשרות שנות העלמת עין והשתלטות של ארגוני הפשיעה על המגזר הערבי, משטרת ישראל יוצאת למלחמה! השתתפתי במהלך כל הלילה בהערכות מצב במחוז מרכז, ולפנות בוקר יצאתי יחד כוחות גדולים של משטרת ישראל, כולל יחידות טקטיות ולוחמי ימ"ס לפשיטה נרחבת וביצוע מעצרים במתחמי משפחות הפשע בג׳ואריש… pic.twitter.com/Z8HAyG4eyZ
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) September 13, 2024
“The task here isn’t easy; there are layer upon layer of crime hubs," he explained. "Crime here has been built over many years. Our mission is to simply cut off its head, work hard to keep delivering results, and prevent more incidents like what we saw yesterday.”
A circulating notice on social media has outlined a series of severe criminal incidents in Ramla over the past month, including a grenade thrown at an ice cream shop, a booby-trapped car, and a string of assassinations—the latest being yesterday’s deadly attack.
Ramle City Council member Abu Saif Rais spoke in a KAN interview on Friday morning, saying, " There’s no police presence in Ramla; there’s chaos. And no matter how much they try to say that Arabs don't cooperate, it’s not true. They have all the information needed to reach the suspects. But there’s a lack of motivation—they aren’t acting, they aren't present."