Shafa Amr:A Palestinian citizen of Israel was killed on Friday in a shooting incident in the city of Shafa Amr, located in northern Israel. The victim, a 79-year-old man, was fatally shot, while his wife and son sustained injuries during the attack.
According to Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA – English, the man's death marks the 168th killing of a Palestinian citizen of Israel since the beginning of 2026. This surge in fatalities occurs amidst the ongoing spread of organized crime and an increasing sense of insecurity within these communities.
The Abraham Initiatives, a non-governmental organization monitoring violence among Palestinian citizens of Israel, reported a record year in 2025, with 252 people killed in 218 separate incidents. In response to the rising violence, Palestinian citizens of Israel have organized protests in predominantly Palestinian towns and villages, accusing Israeli police of complicity and a lack of protection for their communities.
The number of deaths among Palestinian citizens of Israel has increased approximately fourfold over the past decade. Palestinians argue that their grievances extend beyond organized crime, accusing the Israeli government and law enforcement agencies of neglecting Palestinian communities and, in some cases, facilitating the conditions that allow violence to proliferate.
The escalation in killings has persisted since National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has a prior conviction related to incitement to racism against Arabs, assumed office in 2023.