"A short time ago, a report was received… about a shooting incident at a number of people in Yafia. As a result of the shooting, five men were mortally wounded and later declared dead. Large police forces are conducting searches to locate the suspects in the shooting," the police tweeted, adding that the incident is believed to be criminal in nature.
This incident followed an afternoon shooting in Kfar Kana, in which a three year old girl and a 30-year-old man were seriously injured, the Jerusalem Post newspaper reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also commented on the issue, expressing his shock and vowing to stop the violence.
"I am shocked by the terrible murder near Nazareth. We are determined to stop this chain of murders. We will do this not only by reinforcing the police but also with the assistance of the Shin Bet [Israel's internal security service] . I am determined to bring in the Shin Bet as an aid to the Israel Police against these criminals, against the criminal organizations, against these murders. [I met with] security, legal, and police officials and intend to continue [next week] to reach quick results," Netanyahu said in a video released shortly after the shootings.
The crime rate in Israel's Arab sector has increased significantly this year, with the two shootings becoming the most recent in a series of killings. Israeli press noted that since the beginning of 2023, 97 Arabs, 90 of whom were Israeli citizens, lost their lives in incidents of violence and crime. In the same period last year, 35 people were killed.