4 Murders in the Occupied Territories in 8 Hours!

SadaNews - Four people were killed last night and in the early hours of Thursday in shooting incidents that occurred in the Arab towns in the occupied territories over the course of approximately eight hours, amidst accusations of negligence and complicity by the Israeli police with organized crime gangs.

Just hours before these crimes, a man was killed in the town of Al-Fureidis due to a shooting incident that occurred on Wednesday evening, raising the death toll in the Arab community since the beginning of this year to 41.

In the early hours of Thursday, a young man named Mukhtar Abu Madigham (22 years old), the son of the former mayor of Rahat, was found shot dead inside his vehicle in the city of Rahat.

One of the volunteer paramedics who arrived at the crime scene in Rahat stated, "Once again we face a tragic incident of violence, where a young man about 22 years old was found lifeless inside his car, suffering from gunshot wounds. The medical teams had to declare his death on the spot."

Ataa Abu Madigham wrote sad words on his Facebook account, saying: "Mukhtar, my son, died murdered by treacherous bullets; we trust in God and He is the best disposer of affairs. May God have mercy on you, my son, and grant you the highest paradise. Condolences will be at my home in the Anasar neighborhood in Rahat. Indeed, to God we belong and to Him is our return."

A few hours later, another murder took place in the town of Yarka, where a man in his forties was shot, and emergency teams confirmed his death on the scene.

It was later announced that Sheikh Najib Hamad Abu Rish was shot dead in cold blood while heading to work, an incident that sparked a wave of shock and anger in Yarka.

In the city of Lod, a report was made about a man in his fifties being shot dead.

A statement from the spokesperson of Magen David Adom mentioned that at 5:49 AM, an emergency call was received regarding an injured man on Yodfat Street in the city of Lod. Magen David Adom paramedics reported that they declared a man in his fifties dead due to serious penetrating injuries.

One of the paramedics who arrived at the crime scene said: "We found a man in his fifties lying on the ground unconscious and suffering from severe penetrating injuries. We conducted the necessary medical examinations, but there were no signs of life, so we had to declare his death at the scene."

Additionally, the Galilee police opened an investigation after receiving a report about a shooting incident targeting a person in the town of Yarka. Paramedics reported the death of a 42-year-old man from the town due to his injuries.

The police clarified that they arrived at the crime scene and began collecting evidence in cooperation with forensic experts, in addition to conducting search operations and setting up checkpoints in the area in search of suspects, as part of the ongoing investigation.

Preliminary estimates indicate that the background of the incident is criminal, while the circumstances are still under investigation.

In the late hours of the night, Mohamed Qassem (47 years old) was killed in the town of Al-Fureidis, bringing the total number of victims to four killed within eight hours in the Arab community.

Since the beginning of this year, 41 Arab citizens have been killed, including 12 since the beginning of this month and 26 in January.

This comes at a time when the Arab community is witnessing daily protests against the rampant crime and denouncing the complicity of the Israeli authorities and police, starting from Sakhnin with a strike, followed by other Arab towns, and then two national demonstrations in the city and Tel Aviv, along with a convoy of cars that started from the Arab towns heading to Jerusalem, in addition to sit-ins and protests in various towns and intersections.

The year 2025 marked an unprecedented toll in murder crimes, claiming the lives of 252 Arabs, amidst accusations of negligence by the Israeli police and complicity with organized crime, and its failure to provide security and safety for Arab citizens.