40-year-old Arab shot dead in Israel, becoming the 163rd victim this year

A 40-year-old Palestinian citizen of Israel was shot dead in the Arab city of Lod last night, reported Haaretz.

According to the police, the man sustained critical injuries by gunfire shot from a passing vehicle while driving near the Meggido interchange. Paramedics took him to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Israeli police suspect that the motive behind the shooting is linked to criminal activity. Authorities have initiated an investigation into his tragic shooting.

It comes after a 34-year-old man was shot dead in Lod as well, on Monday evening. Additionally, four men were shot dead last week in the Arab town of Abu Snan, in the northern Galilee region. Three were members of the same family, including a candidate for the local mayoral election.

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 163 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.

READ: Israel detains 200+ Palestinians in West Bank this week alone