SAKHNIN, September 25, 2026 (WAFA) – A Palestinian citizen of Israel around his 30s was seriously wounded in a shooting on Friday afternoon in the northern Israeli city of Sakhnin.

This brings the death toll among Palestinian citizens of Israel since the start of 2026 to 163, including men and women, amid the continued spread of organized crime and a growing sense of insecurity.

The surge follows a record year in 2025, when 252 people were killed in 218 separate incidents, according to the Abraham Initiatives, a non-governmental organization that monitors violence among Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Palestinian citizens of Israel have organized a series of protests in predominantly Palestinian towns and villages against rising violent crimes affecting them and accusing Israeli police of complicity and failure to protect their communities.

The number of deaths has increased roughly fourfold over the past decade.

Palestinians say their demands extend beyond tackling organized crime. They accuse the Israeli government and law enforcement agencies of failing to address the crisis.

They argue that official bodies have neglected Palestinian communities and, in some cases, enabled the conditions allowing violence to spread.

The rise in killings has continued since National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has previously been convicted of offences related to incitement to racism against Arabs, took office in 2023.

K.F.