Rahat incident occurs amid waves of attacks. However, police report that the most recent violence was caused by a family dispute
Five people have been left injured by a shooting at a cafe in the southern Israeli town of Rahat, marking the latest outbreak of gun violence in a country that’s on edge over a wave of recent similar attacks.
Two victims were left in critical condition after the latest shooting on Friday. The attack occurred just one day following a terrorist attack in Tel Aviv that left three victims dead and 10 injured. Police said the incident in Rahat, a predominantly Bedouin town about 80 kilometers southwest of Jerusalem, likely stemmed from an ongoing conflict between two families – not terrorism – according to Israeli media outlets.
Unidentified suspects were detained on Saturday. A second cafe belonging to the same family was also hit by gunfire Wednesday. The business is facing protests, apparently because it permits men and women alike to sit at the table. Two Rahat residents were arrested over Wednesday’s shooting.
LEARN MORE
Israel: Five killed in a shooting incident
Footage posted on social media shows the mess left behind at the cafe targeted in Friday’s incident. Large holes were also blown into the front door, causing damage to tables, shelves, and chairs.
“It was like a terrorist attack, shots all over the place,”Haaretz newspaper was told by one witness. “Masked men started breaking things in the cafe. The chaos was overwhelming. It was scary.”
Terrorist attacks in Israel have claimed the lives of at least fourteen people since last month. The latest bloodshed began when a man opened fire outside a bar on Tel Aviv’s bustling Dizengoff Street on Thursday night. Hours later, the suspect was identified as Palestinian Raad Hazem (28 years old).
LEARN MORE
Israel: Two people are killed by a gunshot
Naftali Bennett, Prime Minister of Naftali Bennett, has promised a anti-terrorism crackdown to give security forces “full freedom” to act after Israel’s deadliest series of attacks since 2006. He said last week that Israel’s worst series of attacks since 2006 would continue and warned security forces to be prepared for more violence.
This story can be shared on social media
[ad_2]
