52 dead since start of year amid crime surge in Israel’s Arab communities

People attend the funeral ceremony of the 24 year-old Palestinian Said Nail Said al-Sheikh who died as a result of the fire by Israeli soldiers during a raid in Jericho, West Bank on February 04, 2026. [Issam Rimawi – Anadolu Agency]

Since the start of the year, 52 people have been killed, including four young men shot dead on Wednesday evening in three separate incidents.

One was shot by police in Kabul, in the Galilee region; another was killed in a shooting in Laqiya, in the Negev; and two young men were shot inside a shop in Haifa.

This raises the number of people killed by police gunfire since the start of the year to four.

National Security Minister, far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, expressed support for the police officer involved, saying: “Anyone who endangers the police must be neutralised.”

Overall, the total number of murder victims since the beginning of the year is 52, including 26 so far this month and 26 in January. Among the victims are four killed by police, three women, and two boys under 18.

READ: Ben-Gvir accuses attorney general over surge in Arab community killings

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