Haifa: A Palestinian citizen of Israel was killed in a shooting incident in the town of Jisr az-Zarqa in the Haifa district. This recent fatality adds to the growing number of Palestinian citizens of Israel who have lost their lives to violence this year.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the death toll for Palestinian citizens of Israel since the beginning of 2026 has now reached 76. This includes 75 Palestinians residing in 33 cities and villages within Israel, along with a Palestinian from the West Bank who was killed in Nazareth. The victims include three individuals killed by Israeli police, five women, and three minors under 18.
The wave of violence comes after a record-setting year in 2025, when 252 people were killed in 218 separate incidents, as reported by the Abraham Initiatives, an organization that monitors violence among Palestinian citizens of Israel. In response to the escalating violence, Palestinian citizens of Israel have organized protests in predominantly Palestinian towns and villages. They accuse Israeli police of being complicit and failing to safeguard their communities.
Over the past decade, the number of deaths has increased approximately fourfold. Palestinians assert that their grievances extend beyond organized crime, alleging that the Israeli government and law enforcement agencies have neglected their communities and, in some cases, facilitated the conditions for violence to proliferate.
The rise in killings has persisted since the appointment of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir in 2023, who has previously faced convictions related to incitement to racism against Arabs.
