18-year-old Arab shot dead in Israel making him the 138th victim this year 

An 18-year-old Palestinian citizen of Israel was shot dead and two others sustained injuries in the northern Arab town of Kafr Qara last night, reported Haaretz.

Lieth Arabid was pronounced dead at the scene while his two injured friends were driven to Hillel Yaffeh Medical Centre in Hadera for medical treatment.

The three individuals were seated in a vehicle when gunshots were fired from a passing car. Israeli police suspect that the motive behind the shooting is linked to criminal activity.

It comes after a 39-year-old Arab man named Abed Hasuna was fatally shot yesterday in Lod. He sustained critical injuries during the shooting and was rushed to Shamir Medical Centre in central Israel, where he was later pronounced dead. Authorities have initiated an investigation into his tragic shooting.

Additionally, Assad Abu-Heikel Agbarya from the Arab city of Umm Al-Fahm passed away on Sunday after several days of battling injuries sustained from a previous shooting incident. In 2011, his brother and two nephews were also victims of a fatal shooting at their residence.

READ: Israel shoots 5 Palestinians near Ramallah

Arabs blame the Israeli occupation authorities, namely Israel Police, for not taking action to fight the increasing crime and therefore, have been protesting outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office against Israeli force’s “complicity” in the increasing murder rates in the Arab towns.

Protests were held last month in Umm Al-Fahm, Wai Ara, Tamra and other areas with placards reading: “The blood of Arabs is not cheap.”

Haaretz‘s records indicate that 138 Palestinian citizens of Israel have lost their lives this year, with a notable surge in fatalities during the month of July.

Palestinian citizens of Israel face systematic discrimination and complain of being treated as second-class citizens in comparison to their Jewish counterparts. Numerous human rights groups decry Israeli policies against Arabs as a form of modern-day apartheid, with Arabs suffering racial discrimination in education, work and health care.