Over 200 Arabs killed in crime violence this year, following grenade attack, fatal shooting

The number of Arabs killed in crime-related violence in Israel since the start of 2026 rose to 201 on Saturday, following a grenade attack in Kafr Manda that killed Lina Qassem Zidan and a fatal shooting in Taiba. This marks the sixth consecutive year of triple-digit fatalities, with the death toll exceeding 200 for the past four years.

The number of Arabs killed in crime-related violence in Israel since the start of 2026 has risen to 201, following two incidents on Saturday. Lina Qassem Zidan, a resident of Daliyat al-Carmel, was killed in a grenade attack targeting a business in Kafr Manda. Hours later, a man was fatally shot in Taiba. The Abraham Initiatives reported that among the victims are 14 women and girls, with 167 killed by gunfire. This marks the sixth consecutive year of triple-digit fatalities, with the death toll exceeding 200 for the past four years. Critics, including Jafar Farah of the Mossawa Center and Shahira Shalaby of the Abraham Initiatives, accused the government and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of failing to address the crisis. Shalaby warned that organized crime threatens economic development in Arab communities, while Dr. Jamal Zahalka of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee called for a binding government decision to eradicate crime.