A 35-year-old woman was found shot dead overnight in her home in the northern Arab town of Abu Snan, Israel Police said Tuesday as a wave of Arab sector homicides continued.
The victim, identified as Sherihan Mishleb by Israeli media, was a divorced mother of three. Her children were not at home at the time of her death.
The motive was "likely criminal," police stated. Mishleb’s body was reportedly discovered by her brother, who alerted authorities. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.
Mishleb's relatives have been taken for questioning
According to reports, eight of Mishleb’s relatives have been detained for questioning, including her ex-husband.
According to the Abraham Initiatives, a non-profit organization that promotes Arab integration into Israeli society, the murder was the 149th violent death in the Arab community this year.
The spike is a continuation of the Arab sector’s 230 murders in 2024. In 2023, a record number of 244 Israeli-Arabs were murdered, more than double the 120 homicides in 2022.
The surge in violence is attributed to organized crime groups fighting turf battles and trying to eliminate rivals. Arab criminal organizations have been involved in extortion, money laundering, and trafficking in weapons, drugs and women.
Critics argue the crime wave has worsened since Itamar Ben-Gvir became National Security Minister in 2022.