Man killed, another seriously wounded in shooting in northern Arab town of Tamra

Police searching for suspects; homicide brings Arab Israeli community toll to 153 this year as deadly wave of violence continues unabated

A man was killed and another wounded in a shooting in the northern Arab town of Tamra on Tuesday, first responders said.

Israel Police said officers rushed to the scene and were investigating the incident, which was crime-related and not a terror attack. No arrests were immediately reported.

The slain man was identified as Yasser al-Haija, 34. He was declared dead at Haifa’s Rambam Hospital. Local sources cited by the Arab48 news site say he was shot in a barbershop he owns.

The other wounded man, 29, was taken to Rambam in serious condition, medics said.

According to figures from the Abraham Initiatives violence watchdog, 153 members of the Arab community have been killed by violence since the start of the year, a 18 percent jump over the 128 deaths during the same period in 2025, which was the bloodiest year on record in the Arab community.

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The watchdog has accused National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who oversees police, of gutting programs meant to curb violence in the Arab community.

His first full year in office, 2023, was at the time the bloodiest year on record in the Arab community, with the number of Arab homicide victims soaring to 244, more than double the previous year, according to the watchdog.

The numbers have since climbed, with the Abraham Initiatives reporting 252 victims in 2025.

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