5 murdered within 12 hours as wave of criminal violence continues in Israeli Arab cities

A 38-year-old man was killed Sunday morning in a car explosion in Jaffa, which Israel Police believe is related to a dispute between criminal organizations. 

In the Jaffa car explosion, the victim’s 6-year-old son was in the car with him at the time of the explosion. He managed to exit the car on his own and was taken to Wolfson Hospital in Holon by emergency medical services. His condition was later reported as moderate. 

The explosion, which occurred around 7:30 in the morning, took place about 150 meters (493 feet) from a kindergarten, as students were arriving, and just two days before the end of the school year. Police identified the victim as Iyad Raab, a 38-year-old resident of Jaffa, with a known criminal past. 

A witness who lives in a building near the site of the explosion told Ynet News, “I was on my way to work when a crazy explosion shook the whole house. At first, I thought something had fallen from the building. I went out the window and saw the entire car on fire. People started screaming and running away and smoke covered the entire area.” 

Tel Aviv District Commander, Superintendent Haim Sargaroff, told the news at the scene that the bomb contained about half a kilogram of explosives. He said police are aware of an ongoing conflict between criminal organizations in Jaffa, and are investigating a connection between that conflict and the killing. 

Police are also investigating the suspicion that the assassination is a revenge killing for the murder of 16-year-old Ahmed Jabari outside a grocery store in Jaffa last Thursday. 

Just a couple of hours later, another car explosion rocked the city of Holon, destroying a car in a parking lot near a gas station. 

The victim was found by emergency services, lying next to the car in serious condition. He was also taken to Wolfson Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. 

Police later identified the victim as Mustafa Abu Lassan, who had been arrested on a murder charge several months ago. He had been released, and an indictment was filed against him. 

That explosion was also reported to involve a half-kilo charge placed under the driver’s seat, as in the previous explosion in Jaffa. 

An official in the Tel Aviv District Police told Hebrew news site Maariv, “The worst thing is that assassinations using charges are more dangerous assassinations, not as targeted as shooting incidents.” 

The official said the explosion destroyed “four or five more vehicles parked nearby,” noting that children were playing in the lot and people were coming to the lot to take their cars in or out. 

“The damage could have been much greater,” the official said. 

Police assess that in both cases, in Jaffa and Holon, the killing involved an explosive device placed under the driver's seat, with an operator nearby using a remote control to activate the device. 

The killing in Holon was the fifth murder in only 12 hours. Two men in Qalansawa were shot by an assassin riding a motorcycle, which was driven by an accomplice. 

Security camera footage of the scene appears to show another car blocking the vehicle of the victims, at which point a motorcycle pulls up and begins shooting at the car. 

Both men inside the car were killed in the shooting. 

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The victims were identified as Adnan Ghanem and Ghaleb Abu Ras, both in their 40s.

Police said they are investigating the incident as part of a blood feud between families. A large-scale search for the suspects is being carried out. 

Earlier Saturday night, 19-year-old Bachar Nusayrat was shot dead in Taybeh, as he was returning home from a wedding. Another man was injured in the shooting, which police also attributed to a family dispute. 

Since the beginning of 2026, around 140 Israeli Arabs have been murdered in incidents of criminal violence. 

Former Labor Party chair Merav Michaeli blamed the coalition government for the failure to tackle the issue of violence in the Arab sector, which has increased over the past 5 years.

“It doesn't matter if there's war or a ceasefire or framework agreements, no matter if oil prices rise or fall, if the index went up or down, one thing that continues as usual and doesn't stop for a moment is the madness of murders in Arab society. Every day. All day long, between every few news items appear reports of yet another murder and another murder and another murder,” Michaeli posted to social media.

“I'm not sure what is harder to bear - the sheer number of murders or the government's indifference to them. Any government that replaces this bloody government must begin its days with an emergency plan to deal with this madness,” she said.

Israel Beiteinu head, Avigdor Lieberman also criticized the government for a “complete loss of governance.” 

“Cars are exploding in broad daylight, murders are taking place, children are being injured, and residents are living in fear. Simply a complete loss of governance,” Lieberman wrote. “While the government of the October 7 massacre is busy with political survival, chaos and anarchy are taking over the streets.”