3 killed in apparent criminal shooting in central Israel as murder wave in Arab sector continues

Three Arab Israeli men were found murdered in the central town of Beit Berl on Tuesday night, in the latest, shocking incident amid an ongoing wave of murders in the country's Arab community.

Three residents of Tira were arrested on Tuesday night on suspicion of involvement in the fatal shooting of the three men, who were found dead in their car with gunshot wounds. The police report said that officers from the Kfar Saba police station arrived at the scene of the shooting, isolated the scene, and began searching for suspects involved in the incident. 

Magen David Adom paramedic Liad Agi told Israeli media, “The three men were in their vehicle unconscious, without a pulse and without breathing, with injuries to their bodies. We performed medical examinations, but unfortunately, their injuries were significant and we had no choice but to declare them dead at the scene.” 

An initial investigation by the police revealed that the background to the shooting was criminal, apparently involving a case of revenge killing in the setting of an ongoing feud between criminal organizations. 

A senior police source told Kan News, “Once again we are witnessing a murder against the backdrop of a long and bloody conflict that could have been avoided if the legal system had allowed the police to use the tools it has to eradicate the phenomenon and remove the criminals from society.” 

The official further stated that “There are currently 5 targets in the administrative order process that the prosecutor's office and the legal system are delaying for months - without the delays, the murder would have been avoided.” 

The men involved in the shooting were reportedly members of the Nasser and Hariri crime families. 

The Abraham Initiatives, a group dedicated to equal rights between Jews and Arabs in Israel, and which tracks Arab homicide victims, warned in a statement that Arab citizens are being murdered every day. 

“Tonight's triple murder should shock the entire country,” the statement read. “Arab citizens are being murdered en masse on the streets every day. We must act together, Jews and Arabs, to eradicate crime. We have no time to waste.” 

מיוזמות אברהם נמסר בתגובה לאירוע הירי בטירה:

הרצח המשולש הלילה צריך לזעזע את כל המדינה. האזרחים הערבים נרצחים בהמוניהם ברחובות מדי יום.
חייבים לפעול יחד, יהודים וערבים, למיגור הפשיעה. אין לנו זמן לבזבז. pic.twitter.com/FkaPiPfrnt

— יוזמות אברהם Abraham Initiatives (@Abraham_Ints) February 3, 2026

According to the group’s figures, 32 Arab Israelis have died in violent crimes since the start of the year. Last year, the group recorded 252 Arab Israelis killed in criminal violence in the deadliest year on record. Many Arab community leaders blame the Israeli government and law enforcement for not prioritizing criminal violence in the Arab sector. Many especially criticize National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, noting that the homicide rate in the Arab community has doubled since he took office in 2023. 

The high levels of violence have led to protests in the past few weeks, including a protest in Tel Aviv over the weekend. 

Opposition MK Gilad Kariv, a member of the Knesset National Security Committee, sharply criticized the coalition government in a post to 𝕏, writing, “Five minutes from Kfar Saba and Ra’anana. A triple murder. 32 people murdered in just one month. The State of Israel is abandoning 2 million Arab citizens to criminal organizations, to tens of thousands of illegal firearms, to a governmental vacuum, to a collapsing police force, and to indifferent, hard-hearted politicians.” 

In a second post, addressing the recent ruling by a court that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would have to give a justification for why he has not fired Ben Gvir, Kariv wrote, “In a well-functioning and life-affirming country, Netanyahu would have himself dismissed a failed and nationalist minister who is responsible for the collapse of personal security, in homes, on streets, and on roads.” 

The Abraham Initiatives said that according to their records, only 32 indictments were filed in 2025 against suspects involved in killings.

According to the group, such a small number of indictments, along with lower levels of policing in Arab communities, “points to fundamental discrimination in enforcement.” 

The police has often pointed to a general lack of cooperation by witnesses to the crimes, which hampers its ability to prosecute them.