Three people were killed in two separate shootings that took place overnight in Ramle and Nazareth as violent crime continues to roil Arab Israeli society.

In Nazareth, Wasim Marwat and Abdel Abu Ahmad, ages 34 and 38, were shot dead in their car in the early morning hours while driving to work on Route 75.

According to local Arab outlets, Marwat was the third son from a single family to be killed over the past two years. His brothers — Mounis and Osama — were also shot dead in similar incidents in 2023, both connected to a violent dispute between the Bakri and Hariri crime families.

Earlier that night, 25-year-old Mohammad Nazal was shot dead in Ramle. An 18-year-old was also moderately wounded in the shooting.

Paramedics who were called to the scene evacuated both young men to the hospital, where medical staff pronounced the 25-year-old dead.

Police said they are investigating both shootings but have not yet apprehended any suspects. The backgrounds of both incidents are criminal, according to a spokesperson for law enforcement.

Since the start of 2025, 45 Arab Israelis have been killed in violent criminal incidents.

The past few years have seen a massive uptick of violent crime in Arab society, which claimed over 200 lives annually in both 2023 and 2024.

Many community leaders blame the spiraling violence on police neglect, pointing to law enforcement’s limited success in solving Arab sector murder cases.

In an annual report, the Abraham Initiatives coexistence group estimated that last year, law enforcement solved just under 15% of murder cases.