Jerusalem, 7 May, 2025 (TPS-IL) — A 50-year-old woman was shot and killed as a wave of homicides in the Israeli-Arab community continued on Tuesday night, police said.
The latest victim was identified as Sahar Abu Hajjaj, who was shot and killed in her car outside her home in the central city of Lod.
Several suspects have been arrested but police have not indicated a possible motive.
According to the Abraham Initiative, a non-profit organization that promotes Arab integration into Israeli society, 88 Israeli-Arabs have been killed in violent crimes in 2025.
The spike is a continuation of 230 murders in 2024. In 2023, a record number of 244 Israeli-Arabs were murdered, more than double the 120 homicides in 2022.
The surge in violence is attributed to organized crime groups fighting turf battles and trying to eliminate rivals. Arab criminal organizations have been involved in extortion, money laundering, and trafficking in weapons, drugs and women.
