Rafi Ben-Shalom, a convicted criminal and the nephew of Israeli crime boss Michael Mor, was assassinated in the backyard of a Tirat Carmel apartment building on Sunday night, Israel Police said.
He was rushed to Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa after he was found unconscious by Magen David Adom (MDA) first responders. His death was announced shortly thereafter.
Ben-Shalom was previously convicted twice of attempting to murder crime figures associated with Shmulik Harush, Mor's former right-hand man-turned-rival.
Mor was at the center of a 2006 police scandal when four Northern District police officers were arrested for plotting a series of revenge attacks against him and his associates. According to Ynet, the murdered nephew was also one of the Israeli criminals targeted in what became known as the "gangsters in uniforms" scandal.
In 2017, he was indicted for the murder of state witness Tal Korkus.
Israeli mob boss to seek revenge killing, police fear
The Israel Police has opened an investigation into the assassination, as a Ynet report late on Sunday night claimed that police suspect that Mor will seek to revenge the killing of his nephew.
Mor, whose family members were also targeted in a 2021 car blast that left another nephew in serious condition, has been involved in a blood feud with Shmulik Harush's criminal organization.
No suspects have been arrested in connection to the assassination as of Monday morning.