A young man and his fiancée were killed in a shooting in the town of Yarka in northern Israel yesterday afternoon, bringing the number of people killed in the Arab community since the start of the year to 87.
The victims were identified as Uday Faraj Shaaban, 24, from Majd Al-Krum, and his fiancée, Suwar Abbas, 21, from Baqa Al-Gharbiyya.
According to reports, the attackers blocked the couple’s vehicle before one of them got out and opened fire, killing Uday Shaaban. Suwar Abbas reportedly fled towards a nearby field, where she was later shot and found around 200 metres away.
Read: Four murders within hours in Arab towns in Israel
A spokesperson for Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency service, said that a call was received at 3:27 pm local time about people injured in a violent incident in Yarka. Paramedics later pronounced both victims dead at the scene.
Describing the scene one paramedic said: “It was a difficult scene. Two victims of a violent incident, a young woman and a young man. When we arrived, they were unconscious and showed no signs of life… Their injuries were extremely severe and we had to pronounce them dead.”
Read: 52 dead since start of year amid crime surge in Israel’s Arab communities
Israeli police said that they had opened an investigation into the circumstances of the shooting, adding that the motive remains unknown and that no arrests have been made so far.
The incident comes amid ongoing concern over rising crime and the lack of security for Arab citizens, with violence continuing to escalate and calls growing for more effective action.
