Galilee: A Palestinian citizen of Israel was killed in a shooting incident in the town of Ein al-Asad, located in the Galilee region. The victim, a man in his 30s, was shot dead while sitting in his car on Wednesday evening, as reported by local sources.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, this recent killing brings the total number of Palestinian citizens of Israel who have died since the beginning of 2026 to 88. Among these, 85 individuals were victims of shooting and stabbing attacks, while another was killed and burned to death in a vehicle. Of the 88 victims, 45 were under the age of 30, including eight women and three who were killed by Israeli police fire. These statistics do not include Palestinian victims of shootings in Jerusalem.
The increase in violence follows a record year in 2025, during which 252 people were killed in 218 separate incidents, as reported by the Abraham Initiatives, a non-governmental organization monitoring violence among Palestinian citizens of Israel. In response to the rising violence, Palestinian citizens of Israel have organized protests in predominantly Palestinian towns and villages, condemning the escalating crimes and accusing the Israeli police of complicity and failing to protect their communities.
Over the past decade, the number of deaths has increased roughly fourfold. Palestinians assert that their demands go beyond addressing organized crime, accusing both the Israeli government and law enforcement agencies of neglecting Palestinian communities and, in some instances, enabling the conditions that allow violence to proliferate.
The rise in killings has persisted since National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has prior convictions related to incitement to racism against Arabs, assumed office in 2023.