Jerusalem, 27 October, 2025 (TPS-IL) — A wave of Israeli-Arab homicides continued with the murder of an 18-year-old resident of Araba in the Lower Galilee on Monday.
Kassam Asla was shot in his car in front of his father while on his way to work. Police are investigating.
Magen David Adom emergency responders found Asla unconscious but could not save him and declared him dead at the scene.
According to the Abraham Initiatives, a non-profit organization that promotes Arab integration into Israeli society, 214 Arab-Israelis have been murdered in 2025.
On Thursday night, Muhammad Hejazi, in his 50s, of the northern community of Tamra, was shot to death and his wife moderately injured in their home in what police said was a criminal incident.
The spike continues a pattern of violence in the Arab sector, which saw 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 attempting to eliminate rivals. Arab criminal organizations have been involved in extortion, money laundering, and trafficking in 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.
Related Topics
