Hayum Shahada, a 53-year-old man was shot dead at a business in the Arab town of Yarka in the north on Sunday, becoming the 119th member of the Arab sector in Israel to be killed in criminal related violence in 2021.
The police stated that they are conducting searches for the perpetrators of the crime, along with the collection of findings at the scene by forensic investigators.
MDA paramedic Ronen Dahan recounted that his team arrived at the scene and found the victim lying unconscious and with penetrating injuries to his body. The medics performed initial examinations but were forced to determine his death on the spot.
The Arab sector has been suffering from a wave of crime and violence in recent years. Arab-Israeli society is plagued with daily incidents of violence. Over 110 Arabs were killed in criminal violence in 2020 and at least 119 so far in 2021, setting a new dubious record.
The police increased its activity against the plague of shootings and weapons offenses in recent years, and in 2020 arrested 5,713 suspects in shootings and other weapons crimes throughout the country, an increase of 22% compared to 2019.
The vast majority of police activity was carried out in the Arab sector, and about 90% of the suspects arrested for shooting and weapons offenses were Arab Israelis.
Approximately 85% of the indictments filed in Israel in 2020 for shooting, illegal possession of weapons, trafficking, and illegal use of weapons have been filed against suspects from the Arab society.