RAMALLAH, Sunday, July 26, 2020 (WAFA) –  Two Palestinians holding the Israeli nationality were last night shot dead in the Arab cities of Yafa and Umm al-Fahm in Israel, marking the latest episode in a continuous crime wave blamed for Israeli police's inaction towards rising violence in the Arab community in the 1948 land. 

Sources said that Khalid Hamad, 35, was shot dead in the city of Umm al-Fahm earlier on Sunday, while another was left with moderate injuries.
This comes only a few hours after a Palestinian man identified as Ali Hammad was also shot dead in his house in the city of Yafa yesterday's evening.

Last night's killings raise the death toll of the ongoing crime wave in the Arab community in Israel to 51.

As Palestinian towns at home are witnessing a serious escalation in violence and crime, the Israeli police are failing to play their part in controlling the situation, instead, they're issuing blocking orders regarding the of investigations into crimes.

Arab leaders say Israeli police largely ignore the violence in their communities, everything from family feuds to domestic violence and so-called honor killings.

 Israel's Arab citizens make up 20% of the population and are descended from Palestinians who remained in the state after the Nakba in 1948. They have the right to vote but suffer discrimination and say authorities treat them like second-class citizens.

K.T/M.N