By Pesach Benson • May 24, 2026
Jerusalem, 24 May, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Four men were wounded in a shooting in the Israeli-Arab city of Umm el-Fahm on Sunday, two of them critically, in what police said was a suspected criminal incident amid a continuing wave of violence in the Arab sector.
Magen David Adom paramedics treated the victims at the scene before evacuating them to HaEmek Medical Center in Afula. The wounded included a man in his 30s listed in critical condition, while two other victims, ages 51 and 35, were moderately injured.
“We arrived at a serious violent incident,” MDA paramedics Salim Saad and Omar Kiwan said. “Several of the wounded suffered penetrating injuries, including two in critical condition. We provided initial treatment at the scene and evacuated them by intensive care ambulance while continuing lifesaving efforts.”
Large police forces from the Umm el-Fahm station were deployed to the area and opened an investigation. Authorities said the shooting appeared to be criminal in nature, although the circumstances remained under investigation.
The attack came less than 24 hours after police discovered the body of a man with gunshot wounds inside a truck in the central city of Ramla.
On Thursday, two people were shot and killed while sitting in a car in the mixed Jewish-Arab city of Lod.
The Ramla murder brings to 122 the number of homicide victims in Israel in 2026, of whom 111 were from the Arab community.
The surging violence is widely attributed to organized crime groups engaged in turf wars and efforts to eliminate rivals. Arab criminal organizations have been involved in extortion, money laundering, and the trafficking of weapons, drugs, and women.
Critics argue the crime wave has worsened since Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right politician, became National Security Minister in 2022.
