Two young men in their 20s were murdered on Friday afternoon in broad daylight in front of the residents of the area and passers-by in Kiryat Ata, about three hours apart, according to Israeli media.
From a preliminary investigation, it emerged that in the first case, the victim, Aviv Elimelech, 22 years old, was already known to the police in the field of drug crimes.
Elimelech arrived as usual at the neighborhood minimarket where the killer was sitting, who apparently knew or had received information about Elimelech's presence.
The killer rode by on a scooter, fired a targeted shot at the victim, and mortally wounded him.
Immediately afterwards, the killer fled the scene, and the medical team had no choice but to determine Elimelech's death at the scene.
Second murder in three hours
About three hours later, while the police were busy with the beginning of the investigation, another murder took place in Kiryat Ata.
According to videos distributed on social media, it appears that the assassin in this case was also riding a motorcycle while shooting at Ariel Bar, a 29-year-old man also known to the police.
Bar collapsed on synthetic grass at a local market with a can of drink in his hands and was fatally wounded.
It seems that also, in this case, the killer knew his exact location, shot at him, and escaped.
Following the two murders, which were carried out with a short time difference as mentioned, the commander of the Coast District Superintendent Danny Levy, held a situation assessment, at the end of which he assigned the investigation to the Coast Guard investigators.
The district commander ordered an increase in the number of police officers in the area to complete the investigation, using technological means in order to reach the killers.
"We will not let the criminals rest for a moment. We will reach them and settle accounts with them soon. Get ready; we are on our way to them, and we will make sure to keep them behind bars for many years."
The police are investigating whether there is a connection between the incidents and whether the killing of Bar is a revenge killing of Elimelech a few hours earlier.