A wave of shootings leaves five dead, bringing the 2026 toll to 44 as violent crime escalates within Israel’s Arab community.

JERUSALEM: Five Arab Israelis were shot dead in separate incidents across the country in less than 24 hours, police confirmed on Thursday.

The killings raise the number of Arab Israelis killed this year to 44, continuing a surge in violent crime that has gripped the community.

In the latest violence, 20-year-old Farid Abu Mubarak was gunned down in the Bedouin town of Shaqib al-Salam on Thursday morning.

Hours earlier, 22-year-old Mukhtar Abu Madigham, the son of a former mayor, was shot dead in the southern city of Rahat.

Gunmen also killed Najib Abu Rish in the northern Druze village of Yarka.

In Lod, a 60-year-old man identified as Hussein Abu Rqeiq died after being critically wounded by gunfire.

Authorities also confirmed the Wednesday killing of 47-year-old Muhammad Qassem from the village of Al-Fureidis near Haifa.

Police said they opened investigations and were conducting “extensive searches” to track down the perpetrators.

Israel Police Commissioner Dani Levy described the situation as a “national emergency”.

“The continued killing of innocent people in criminals’ disputes cannot continue,” he said in a statement.

He urged a “decisive war on crime” and called on courts to impose harsher sentences.

Many in the Arab community, however, accuse police of failing to bring criminals to justice.

Crime and armed violence have escalated sharply among Israel’s Arab minority, where gangs often extort residents.

The past two months have seen some of the largest anti-crime protests in years, including nationwide rallies.

Israel recorded an unprecedented 252 killings among Arab citizens in 2025.

Arab Israelis, descendants of Palestinians who remained after Israel’s creation in 1948, comprise around 21% of the population.

 The Sun Malaysia