Middle East Monitor / September 22, 2023
A 25-year-old Palestinian citizen of Israel was shot dead in the village of Musmus, near Umm al-Fahm, in Israel, reported Haaretz.
Identified as Mohammad Agbarya, the victim was pronounced dead at Haemek Medical Centre in Afula after being transferred by paramedics from the Musmus Intersection.
Moreover, another individual, who suffered an anxiety attack following the incident, was also transported to the hospital for medical evaluation and care.
According to Haaretz, the Israeli police force’s Lahav 433 major crimes division are looking for the suspect and have launched an ongoing investigation.
It comes after 28-year-old Yahya and his 23-year-old brother Omar Saadi were shot dead earlier this month inside their car in an olive grove near the Palestinian town of Abu Snan, in the northern Galilee region.
Palestinians blame the Israeli occupation authorities, namely Israel Police, for not taking action to fight increasing crime and, therefore, have been protesting outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office against Israeli force’s “complicity” in the rising murder rates in the Palestinian towns.
Protests were held in July in Umm al-Fahm, Wai Ara, Tamra and other areas, with placards reading: “The blood of Palestinians is not cheap.”
Additionally, a general strike was held this month in Palestinian municipalities in Israel to protest against the surge in crime that has resulted in the deaths of more than 170 Palestinian citizens of Israel so far this year.
Haaretz‘s records indicate that 179 Palestinian citizens of Israel have lost their lives this year, with a notable surge in fatalities in July.
Palestinian citizens of Israel face systematic discrimination and complain of being treated as second-class citizens in comparison to their Jewish counterparts. Numerous human rights groups decry Israeli policies against Palestinians as a form of modern-day apartheid, with Palestinians suffering racial discrimination in education, work and health care.
