Negev

Mohammad Al-Asibi

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April 01, 2023: Mohammad Al-Asibi, 26, died from serious wounds he suffered a day earlier after Israeli soldiers shot him at the Bab Al-Silsila (Chain Gate) leading to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem after alleging he attempted to snatch a weapon from a soldier, an allegation that witnesses denied.

The young man suffered serious wounds when the soldiers claimed they shot him after he “attempted to snatch a weapon from a soldier”, an allegation that witnesses denied.

The Israeli army claimed that the soldiers shot the young man when he reportedly tried to snatch a weapon from an officer and that he also “was able to fire the weapon a few times before he was killed.”

Eyewitnesses said Mohammad was shot while trying to stop the soldiers who were beating up a young woman and dragging her out of the Al-Aqsa Mosque through the Chain Gate in preparation for abducting her.

They added that the slain man never tried to assault the soldiers or snatch their weapons and was only focused on trying to stop them from attacking and abducting the young woman.

The soldiers were also clubbing and assaulting dozens of Palestinians trying to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque and its courtyards to pray on the second Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Arab Member of Knesset Ayman Odeh and former Member of Knesset Talab Al-Sane’, denounced the Israeli crime and the attempts to justify the young man’s murder who graduated from med school and completed his medical practice exam just two weeks earlier.

Odeh added that Mohammad went to pray in Al-Aqsa Mosque and could not tolerate the sight of Israeli soldiers and police officers assaulting the young woman and tried to stop them before they shot him and said that the Palestinian did not carry any weapons and did not attempt to attack soldiers or snatch their weapons.

“Everybody needs to understand that the Israeli occupation is the ongoing and biggest crime,” Odeh said, “The suffering, the crimes will continue as long as this illegal occupation is ongoing.”

MK Sane’ also denounced the Israeli crime and said the young man was shot point blank, adding that the Israeli allegations are mere lies and fabrications to justify another crime against the Palestinian people.

“The army and the police have surveillance cameras all over the place, in every corner, alley and street, let’s see them release those videos…” he stated.

He added that the crime was also encouraged by racist and fundamentalist right-wing coalition members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s governorate, especially the fanatic Itamar Ben-Gvir.

ِHours after killing the newly graduated physician, dozens of soldiers and border police officers stormed his home in Houra, in the Negev, ransacked the property, confiscated the slain man’s computer, and interrogated the family.

A general strike and mourning were declared in Houra and Rahat and many Arab villages and towns in the Negev.

Mohammad was Houra Bedouin village in the Negev. Source: IMEMC

Naim Mahmoud Bedir

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NaimDecember 23, 2022: Naim Mahmoud Theeb Bedir, 23, was shot and killed by Israeli police before dawn in Kafr Qassem, in the Southern Triangle area (inside the undeclared borders of what is now Israel), claiming that he was trying to carry out a ramming attack against the police.

The man’s family rejected the Israeli narrative, saying, “The Israeli police killed our son in cold blood, and the police story that he tried to attack them is false.”

The family told reporters, “The Israeli police, after killing our son Naim in cold blood, stormed our home and ransacked all our belongings in front of the children, who were screaming and crying, terrified as the soldiers destroyed our home.”

During the home invasion, the Israeli police abducted several of Naim’s family members to bring them back to the police station for questioning. Israeli forces are known for their torture techniques, which they call ‘enhanced interrogation.’

The police claimed that Badir called the police, saying that a violent incident had occurred, but that when the police arrived, he ran towards them with a weapon and then got into his car and drove toward the police, mildly injuring two.

The police further claimed that two of its members were slightly injured and were subsequently transferred to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva. The police spokesperson said that the district commander then arrived at the site and conducted a field assessment of the situation.

The police then deployed dozens of its members in the village of Kafr Qassem, sent reinforcements, including members of the special units, and turned the city into a military base, according to local sources.

According to the Israeli police, a search of a building near where Badir was killed turned up “a weapon, ammunition, Molotov cocktails, and a knife.” But there is no evidence that Badir was in that building.

A video clip taken from the scene shows a number of Israeli police officers shooting live rounds into a Palestinian vehicle as it is moving backward.

The Israeli police said that they considered the incident in Kafr Qassem as a “hostile sabotage operation,” noting that after the attack, the police conducted searches for other suspects.

Naim was from Kafr Qassem, in what is now Israel. Source: IMEMC

Issa Hani Talqat

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IssaNovember 30, 2022: Issa Hani Talqat, 13, On Wednesday, a Palestinian child from the Negev died during surgery at the Israeli Soroka Medical Center a month after an Israeli police officer shot him with live fire in Arara town in the Negev, during celebrations after the Knesset election.

Issa Hani Talqat, 13, suffered serious wounds when an Israeli police officer shot him on November 1st, 2022, after exit polls were published, and United Arab List (Ra’am) only won five Knesset seats.

The Israeli police claimed that the officers fired at a car “driving wildly” and “believed that the life of an officer was endangered.”

Eyewitnesses said the child was walking on the sidewalk and not in the car when the officers opened fire and shot him in the neck.

The Times Of Israel said the child’s condition initially improved but had several scheduled difficult surgeries and died just minutes after the surgeons started surgery to install a feeding tube in his body.

It added that the officer who injured the child was questioned by the “Internal Investigations Department,” which is part of the “Justice Ministry” that investigates police wrongdoing in Israel, and the officer claimed he “suspected one of the drivers tried to run him over.”

Locals in the Arab town said the police had no reason to open fire and that the child had no connection with the alleged wild driver, adding that several police officers tried to stop one of the speeding cars and fired at it when the driver did not stop.

The child’s uncle, Riyad, said his slain nephew child was walking on the side of the road heading home when he was shot and seriously injured and added that Issa was recovering and even started walking while attached to a medical device, but then he suffered complications and died during surgery.

Riyad stated that the investigation could reveal whether the child died of medical negligence or other causes, adding that “no matter what eventually led to his death, the police should not have opened fire, and they are responsible for his death.”

Issa was from Arara, in the Negev in southern Israel. Source: IMEMC

Shirel Aboukaret

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March 27, 2022: Shirel Aboukaret, 19, was shot and killed in the town of Hadera in an attack by two Bedouin men from the unrecognized village of Umm al-Fahm. The two attackers shot and killed two Israeli border officers and wounded four Israeli civilians. The two attackers were then shot.

The two Israeli border officers who were killed were identified as Yazan Fallah, 19, an Arab-Druze soldier from Kisra-Sumei in Galilee, and Shirel Aboukaret, 19, from Netanya.

According to Israeli sources, the so-called “Islamic State’ movement known as ISIS or Da’esh, claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the second in the past several days in southern Israel.

Israeli sources reported that the two shooters were shot and killed by two undercover officers from the Counterterrorism Unit of the Israeli Border Police who were eating at a cafe nearby.

Four Israelis were injured in the shooting and were hospitalized. They were a 45-year-old man, a woman in her twenties, and two men in their twenties.

Soon after the shooting, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett came to the site of the attack to pay respects.

The Palestinian-Israeli head of the Ra’am party, Mansour Abbas, told reporters, “This disgusting crime was ISIS-inspired and does not reflect the Israeli-Arab population, which seeks to live in respect and in accordance with the law, a life that honors the living and coexistence between Arabs and Jews.”

Immediately following the attack, Israeli forces locked down the village of Umm al-Fahm and arrested several relatives of the men who carried out the attack. The troops also deployed a helicopter in the area around Hadera to search for any “suspicious persons”.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sent his condolences to the families of those killed and injured in the attack.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also condemned the attack. He called it a “senseless act of violence and murder”.

Um al-Fahim Mayor Dr. Samir Mahameed, told the Al-Arab News agency that what happened was a serious incident, adding that one of the two attackers is known to the Israeli security devices and was previously convicted in court for his membership with ISIS.

“We do not and will not support such ideology and attacks,” Mahameed said, “We call on the police to perform its duty and apprehend those who carry such a fanatic ideology.”

“When a group like ISIS claims responsibility for any attack, we need to know that all of us are targets,” Mahameed added, “ISIS never hesitated and will not hesitate to kill Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike; this group needs to be obliterated.”

It is worth mentioning that one of the attackers has a brother who is an officer with the Sharon Israeli Police department.

Shirel was from Netanya, in central Israel. Source: IMEMC

Yazan Falah

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March 27, 2022: Yazan Falah, 19, was shot and killed in the town of Hadera in an attack by two Bedouin men from the unrecognized village of Umm al-Fahm . The two attackers shot and killed two Israeli border officers and wounded four Israeli civilians. The two attackers were then shot.

The two Israeli border officers who were killed were identified as Yazan Fallah, 19, an Arab-Druze soldier from Kisra-Sumei in Galilee, and Shirel Aboukaret, 19, from Netanya.

According to Israeli sources, the so-called “Islamic State’ movement known as ISIS or Da’esh, claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the second in the past several days in southern Israel.

Israeli sources reported that the two shooters were shot and killed by two undercover officers from the Counterterrorism Unit of the Israeli Border Police who were eating at a cafe nearby.

Four Israelis were injured in the shooting and were hospitalized. They were a 45-year-old man, a woman in her twenties, and two men in their twenties.

Soon after the shooting, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett came to the site of the attack to pay respects.

The Palestinian-Israeli head of the Ra’am party, Mansour Abbas, told reporters, “This disgusting crime was ISIS-inspired and does not reflect the Israeli-Arab population, which seeks to live in respect and in accordance with the law, a life that honors the living and coexistence between Arabs and Jews.”

Immediately following the attack, Israeli forces locked down the village of Umm al-Fahm and arrested several relatives of the men who carried out the attack. The troops also deployed a helicopter in the area around Hadera to search for any “suspicious persons”.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sent his condolences to the families of those killed and injured in the attack.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also condemned the attack. He called it a “senseless act of violence and murder”.

Um al-Fahim Mayor Dr. Samir Mahameed, told the Al-Arab News agency that what happened was a serious incident, adding that one of the two attackers is known to the Israeli security devices and was previously convicted in court for his membership with ISIS.

“We do not and will not support such ideology and attacks,” Mahameed said, “We call on the police to perform its duty and apprehend those who carry such a fanatic ideology.”

“When a group like ISIS claims responsibility for any attack, we need to know that all of us are targets,” Mahameed added, “ISIS never hesitated and will not hesitate to kill Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike; this group needs to be obliterated.”

It is worth mentioning that one of the attackers has a brother who is an officer with the Sharon Israeli Police department.

Yazan was from Hadera, in southern Israel. Source: IMEMC

Menach Yehezkel Menuchin

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March 24, 2022: Menach Yehezkel Menuchin, 67, was stabbed to death by Mohammad Ghaleb Abu al-Kian, 34, in Beersheba, in southern Israel.

According to Israeli media, al-Kian was driving a car, and ran over Rabbi Moshe Kravitsky, who was riding a bicycle.

He then allegedly drove to a gas station, where he exited the vehicle and stabbed Laura Yitzhak.

Following that stabbing, he drove to a nearby shopping center, exited the car, and stabbed Yehezkel and Yahbas. A bus driver then shot and killed al-Kian.

The four Israelis killed were buried on Wednesday, following Jewish tradition to bury the body soon after death.

They were identified as Doris Yahbas, 49, Laura Yitzhak, 43, Menach Yehezkel Menuchin, 67, and Moshe Kravitsky, 50.

Just days before this attack, Journalist Israel Harel wrote a piece in the Israeli daily Ha’aretz praising the Israeli government’s decision to further displace the Bedouin population in the Negev.

Harel wrote, “In the first stage, 20,000 apartments will be built, as well as an industrial zone for advanced technology. In addition to finding a solution to the dire housing shortage among the ultra-Orthodox community, the city, in the specific site on which it will be constructed, will assist, in this initiative’s secondary objective, to halt, even if only in part, the process through which the Negev is being taken over by the Bedouin community, a process which in recent years has taken on alarming proportions.”

The Israeli Hadash party condemned the attack and said, “the way of violence is not the way of the Arab public in general and the Negev in particular and is not part of the just struggle of the Negev Arabs against the dispossession and oppression,” the Jerusalem Post said.

“We already hear the instigators intend to use the tragedy to ignite a racist fire and lead to violence against Arab citizens. They must not be allowed to exploit the murder of innocent people to lead to more violence,” added the party.

It is worth mentioning that Abu al-Kiyan, a Bedouin man from Hura town, was previously imprisoned by Israel, and a security source told Haaretz the assailant was a known ISIS supporter.

Several Palestinian Authority officials denounced the attack in letters to Israeli counterparts.

The Israeli police and Internal Security arrested two members of Mohammad’s family under the suspicion that they “knew about the attack, but failed to stop it, however, the allegations could not be substantiated.

According to the Negev News Arab website, the Abu al-Kian family strongly denounce the attack and said Mohammad does not represent the family and its beliefs and sent its condolences to the victims and their families.

The Arabs48 news website has reported that “The High Arab Steering Committee in the Negev” also denounced the attack and said it does not represent the Arab residents of the Negev.

It added that the attack also tries to paint the Arabs in the Negev as guilty and racist, and said: “Despite the long history of racism, discrimination and incitement against us, and despite what we have recently been facing, including attacks by Israeli militias targeting our very own existence, we continue to believe in the civil struggle within the law until achieving out full and equal rights for everybody in the Negev.”

The Committee expressed its condolences to the families, wished a full recovery to the wounded, and warned of the increasing incitement by Israeli fanatics against the Bedouins in the Negev.

“We all need to act responsibly, and we warn that incitement is just going to bring more suffering against the Arabs in general, and the Bedouins in particular,” the Committee said, “There are some in Israel, especially the extreme right wing, who are using this tragedy for political gains and are inciting against us and our existence.”

Menach was from Beersheba, in southern Israel. Source: IMEMC

Doris Yahbas

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DorisMarch 24, 2022: Doris Yahbas, 49, was stabbed to death by Mohammad Ghaleb Abu al-Kian, 34, in Beersheba, in southern Israel.

According to Israeli media, al-Kian was driving a car, and ran over Rabbi Moshe Kravitsky, who was riding a bicycle.

He then allegedly drove to a gas station, where he exited the vehicle and stabbed Laura Yitzhak.

Following that stabbing, he drove to a nearby shopping center, exited the car, and stabbed Yehezkel and Yahbas. A bus driver then shot and killed al-Kian.

The four Israelis killed were buried on Wednesday, following Jewish tradition to bury the body soon after death.

They were identified as Doris Yahbas, 49, Laura Yitzhak, 43, Menach Yehezkel Menuchin, 67, and Moshe Kravitsky, 50.

Just days before this attack, Journalist Israel Harel wrote a piece in the Israeli daily Ha’aretz praising the Israeli government’s decision to further displace the Bedouin population in the Negev.

Harel wrote, “In the first stage, 20,000 apartments will be built, as well as an industrial zone for advanced technology. In addition to finding a solution to the dire housing shortage among the ultra-Orthodox community, the city, in the specific site on which it will be constructed, will assist, in this initiative’s secondary objective, to halt, even if only in part, the process through which the Negev is being taken over by the Bedouin community, a process which in recent years has taken on alarming proportions.”

The Israeli Hadash party condemned the attack and said, “the way of violence is not the way of the Arab public in general and the Negev in particular and is not part of the just struggle of the Negev Arabs against the dispossession and oppression,” the Jerusalem Post said.

“We already hear the instigators intend to use the tragedy to ignite a racist fire and lead to violence against Arab citizens. They must not be allowed to exploit the murder of innocent people to lead to more violence,” added the party.

It is worth mentioning that Abu al-Kiyan, a Bedouin man from Hura town, was previously imprisoned by Israel, and a security source told Haaretz the assailant was a known ISIS supporter.

Several Palestinian Authority officials denounced the attack in letters to Israeli counterparts.

The Israeli police and Internal Security arrested two members of Mohammad’s family under the suspicion that they “knew about the attack, but failed to stop it, however, the allegations could not be substantiated.

According to the Negev News Arab website, the Abu al-Kian family strongly denounce the attack and said Mohammad does not represent the family and its beliefs and sent its condolences to the victims and their families.

The Arabs48 news website has reported that “The High Arab Steering Committee in the Negev” also denounced the attack and said it does not represent the Arab residents of the Negev.

It added that the attack also tries to paint the Arabs in the Negev as guilty and racist, and said: “Despite the long history of racism, discrimination and incitement against us, and despite what we have recently been facing, including attacks by Israeli militias targeting our very own existence, we continue to believe in the civil struggle within the law until achieving out full and equal rights for everybody in the Negev.”

The Committee expressed its condolences to the families, wished a full recovery to the wounded, and warned of the increasing incitement by Israeli fanatics against the Bedouins in the Negev.

“We all need to act responsibly, and we warn that incitement is just going to bring more suffering against the Arabs in general, and the Bedouins in particular,” the Committee said, “There are some in Israel, especially the extreme right wing, who are using this tragedy for political gains and are inciting against us and our existence.”

Doris was from Beersheba, in southern Israel. Source: IMEMC

Moshe Kravitsky

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Moshe KravitskyMarch 24, 2022: Moshe Kravitsky, 50, was run over by a vehicle driven by Mohammad Ghaleb Abu al-Kian, 34, in Beersheba, in southern Israel.

According to Israeli media, al-Kian was driving a car, and ran over Rabbi Moshe Kravitsky, who was riding a bicycle.

He then allegedly drove to a gas station, where he exited the vehicle and stabbed Laura Yitzhak.

Following that stabbing, he drove to a nearby shopping center, exited the car, and stabbed Yehezkel and Yahbas. A bus driver then shot and killed al-Kian.

The four Israelis killed were buried on Wednesday, following Jewish tradition to bury the body soon after death.

They were identified as Doris Yahbas, 49, Laura Yitzhak, 43, Menach Yehezkel Menuchin, 67, and Moshe Kravitsky, 50.

Just days before this attack, Journalist Israel Harel wrote a piece in the Israeli daily Ha’aretz praising the Israeli government’s decision to further displace the Bedouin population in the Negev.

Harel wrote, “In the first stage, 20,000 apartments will be built, as well as an industrial zone for advanced technology. In addition to finding a solution to the dire housing shortage among the ultra-Orthodox community, the city, in the specific site on which it will be constructed, will assist, in this initiative’s secondary objective, to halt, even if only in part, the process through which the Negev is being taken over by the Bedouin community, a process which in recent years has taken on alarming proportions.”

The Israeli Hadash party condemned the attack and said, “the way of violence is not the way of the Arab public in general and the Negev in particular and is not part of the just struggle of the Negev Arabs against the dispossession and oppression,” the Jerusalem Post said.

“We already hear the instigators intend to use the tragedy to ignite a racist fire and lead to violence against Arab citizens. They must not be allowed to exploit the murder of innocent people to lead to more violence,” added the party.

It is worth mentioning that Abu al-Kiyan, a Bedouin man from Hura town, was previously imprisoned by Israel, and a security source told Haaretz the assailant was a known ISIS supporter.

Several Palestinian Authority officials denounced the attack in letters to Israeli counterparts.

The Israeli police and Internal Security arrested two members of Mohammad’s family under the suspicion that they “knew about the attack, but failed to stop it, however, the allegations could not be substantiated.

According to the Negev News Arab website, the Abu al-Kian family strongly denounce the attack and said Mohammad does not represent the family and its beliefs and sent its condolences to the victims and their families.

The Arabs48 news website has reported that “The High Arab Steering Committee in the Negev” also denounced the attack and said it does not represent the Arab residents of the Negev.

It added that the attack also tries to paint the Arabs in the Negev as guilty and racist, and said: “Despite the long history of racism, discrimination and incitement against us, and despite what we have recently been facing, including attacks by Israeli militias targeting our very own existence, we continue to believe in the civil struggle within the law until achieving out full and equal rights for everybody in the Negev.”

The Committee expressed its condolences to the families, wished a full recovery to the wounded, and warned of the increasing incitement by Israeli fanatics against the Bedouins in the Negev.

“We all need to act responsibly, and we warn that incitement is just going to bring more suffering against the Arabs in general, and the Bedouins in particular,” the Committee said, “There are some in Israel, especially the extreme right wing, who are using this tragedy for political gains and are inciting against us and our existence.”

Moshe was from Beersheba, in southern Israel. Source: IMEMC

Mohammad Ghaleb Abu al-Kian

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Mohammad Abu al-KianMarch 24, 2022: Mohammad Ghaleb Abu al-Kian, 34, was shot and killed by a bystander after he killed four Israelis in Beersheba, in southern Israel.

According to Israeli media, al-Kian was driving a car, and ran over Rabbi Moshe Kravitsky, who was riding a bicycle.

He then allegedly drove to a gas station, where he exited the vehicle and stabbed Laura Yitzhak.

Following that stabbing, he drove to a nearby shopping center, exited the car, and stabbed Yehezkel and Yahbas. A bus driver then shot and killed al-Kian.

The four Israelis killed were buried on Wednesday, following Jewish tradition to bury the body soon after death.

They were identified as Doris Yahbas, 49, Laura Yitzhak, 43, Menach Yehezkel Menuchin, 67, and Moshe Kravitsky, 50.

Just days before this attack, Journalist Israel Harel wrote a piece in the Israeli daily Ha’aretz praising the Israeli government’s decision to further displace the Bedouin population in the Negev.

Harel wrote, “In the first stage, 20,000 apartments will be built, as well as an industrial zone for advanced technology. In addition to finding a solution to the dire housing shortage among the ultra-Orthodox community, the city, in the specific site on which it will be constructed, will assist, in this initiative’s secondary objective, to halt, even if only in part, the process through which the Negev is being taken over by the Bedouin community, a process which in recent years has taken on alarming proportions.”

The Israeli Hadash party condemned the attack and said, “the way of violence is not the way of the Arab public in general and the Negev in particular and is not part of the just struggle of the Negev Arabs against the dispossession and oppression,” the Jerusalem Post said.

“We already hear the instigators intend to use the tragedy to ignite a racist fire and lead to violence against Arab citizens. They must not be allowed to exploit the murder of innocent people to lead to more violence,” added the party.

It is worth mentioning that Abu al-Kiyan, a Bedouin man from Hura town, was previously imprisoned by Israel, and a security source told Haaretz the assailant was a known ISIS supporter.

Several Palestinian Authority officials denounced the attack in letters to Israeli counterparts.

The Israeli police and Internal Security arrested two members of Mohammad’s family under the suspicion that they “knew about the attack, but failed to stop it, however, the allegations could not be substantiated.

According to the Negev News Arab website, the Abu al-Kian family strongly denounce the attack and said Mohammad does not represent the family and its beliefs and sent its condolences to the victims and their families.

The Arabs48 news website has reported that “The High Arab Steering Committee in the Negev” also denounced the attack and said it does not represent the Arab residents of the Negev.

It added that the attack also tries to paint the Arabs in the Negev as guilty and racist, and said: “Despite the long history of racism, discrimination and incitement against us, and despite what we have recently been facing, including attacks by Israeli militias targeting our very own existence, we continue to believe in the civil struggle within the law until achieving out full and equal rights for everybody in the Negev.”

The Committee expressed its condolences to the families, wished a full recovery to the wounded, and warned of the increasing incitement by Israeli fanatics against the Bedouins in the Negev.

“We all need to act responsibly, and we warn that incitement is just going to bring more suffering against the Arabs in general, and the Bedouins in particular,” the Committee said, “There are some in Israel, especially the extreme right wing, who are using this tragedy for political gains and are inciting against us and our existence.”

Mohammad was from the Negev, in southern Israel. Source: IMEMC

Laura Yitzhak

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March 24, 2022: Laura Yitzhak, 43, was stabbed to death by Mohammad Ghaleb Abu al-Kian, 34, in Beersheba, in southern Israel.

According to Israeli media, al-Kian was driving a car, and ran over Rabbi Moshe Kravitsky, who was riding a bicycle.

He then allegedly drove to a gas station, where he exited the vehicle and stabbed Laura Yitzhak.

Following that stabbing, he drove to a nearby shopping center, exited the car, and stabbed Yehezkel and Yahbas. A bus driver then shot and killed al-Kian.

The four Israelis killed were buried on Wednesday, following Jewish tradition to bury the body soon after death.

They were identified as Doris Yahbas, 49, Laura Yitzhak, 43, Menach Yehezkel Menuchin, 67, and Moshe Kravitsky, 50.

Just days before this attack, Journalist Israel Harel wrote a piece in the Israeli daily Ha’aretz praising the Israeli government’s decision to further displace the Bedouin population in the Negev.

Harel wrote, “In the first stage, 20,000 apartments will be built, as well as an industrial zone for advanced technology. In addition to finding a solution to the dire housing shortage among the ultra-Orthodox community, the city, in the specific site on which it will be constructed, will assist, in this initiative’s secondary objective, to halt, even if only in part, the process through which the Negev is being taken over by the Bedouin community, a process which in recent years has taken on alarming proportions.”

The Israeli Hadash party condemned the attack and said, “the way of violence is not the way of the Arab public in general and the Negev in particular and is not part of the just struggle of the Negev Arabs against the dispossession and oppression,” the Jerusalem Post said.

“We already hear the instigators intend to use the tragedy to ignite a racist fire and lead to violence against Arab citizens. They must not be allowed to exploit the murder of innocent people to lead to more violence,” added the party.

It is worth mentioning that Abu al-Kiyan, a Bedouin man from Hura town, was previously imprisoned by Israel, and a security source told Haaretz the assailant was a known ISIS supporter.

Several Palestinian Authority officials denounced the attack in letters to Israeli counterparts.

The Israeli police and Internal Security arrested two members of Mohammad’s family under the suspicion that they “knew about the attack, but failed to stop it, however, the allegations could not be substantiated.

According to the Negev News Arab website, the Abu al-Kian family strongly denounce the attack and said Mohammad does not represent the family and its beliefs and sent its condolences to the victims and their families.

The Arabs48 news website has reported that “The High Arab Steering Committee in the Negev” also denounced the attack and said it does not represent the Arab residents of the Negev.

It added that the attack also tries to paint the Arabs in the Negev as guilty and racist, and said: “Despite the long history of racism, discrimination and incitement against us, and despite what we have recently been facing, including attacks by Israeli militias targeting our very own existence, we continue to believe in the civil struggle within the law until achieving out full and equal rights for everybody in the Negev.”

The Committee expressed its condolences to the families, wished a full recovery to the wounded, and warned of the increasing incitement by Israeli fanatics against the Bedouins in the Negev.

“We all need to act responsibly, and we warn that incitement is just going to bring more suffering against the Arabs in general, and the Bedouins in particular,” the Committee said, “There are some in Israel, especially the extreme right wing, who are using this tragedy for political gains and are inciting against us and our existence.”

Laura was from Beersheba, in southern Israel. Source: IMEMC