The Israel Police announced on Tuesday a “large-scale joint operation” to combat serious crime in the Arab sector.
The operation is aimed at identifying and arresting “perpetrators of crime and violence on the streets, ensuring public safety and the restoration of normal, peaceful life for all citizens,” the Israel Police added.
As part of the operation, Coastal District Commander Deputy Commissioner Yehiel Bohadana directed a team of hundreds of officers working on Tuesday in Umm el-Fahm to target criminals, those with outstanding debts, and “other parties involved in a criminal and economic chain that enables illegal activities.”
The Prime Minister’s Office, Tax Authority, State Attorney, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), and other civilian and government agencies will take part in the operation alongside Israel Police.
Violent crime in the Arab sector has been a major national concern for years.
“The State of Israel is determined to strengthen personal security, improve the quality of life for all law-abiding citizens, and take uncompromising action against anyone who defies the law and harms those who protect it,” the police said.
Increase in Arab sector murders
As of late last week, some 11 people from the Arab sector have been murdered since the start of 2025, Kan reported, while some 230 people from the sector were murdered in 2024, according to NGO Abraham Initiatives.
This surpassed the previous year’s death toll in the sector due to crime, the highest since the state was founded, and over double the number of deaths compared to the previous year, at 224.
In comparison, in 2022, 116 Arabs were killed in Israel, while in 2021, 126 were killed; in 2020, 96 were killed, and in 2019, 89 were killed.
Only 10.5% of 2023’s murders were solved by the end of that year, and just 14.8% of the murders in 2024 were solved, Abraham Initiatives added.
“Cases of manslaughter and murder that do not reach indictment strengthen the feeling of Arab citizens that their safety is not a first priority for the state, weaken trust in institutions,” and make the likelihood of cooperation with authorities smaller, the organization said.
Tzvi Joffre contributed to this report.