Israel’s police chief warned Thursday that the country was facing a "national state of emergency" amid a wave of homicide targeting the country's Arab minority, according to local media.
The announcement by Commissioner Danny Levy followed a 24-hour span in which five Arab Israelis were shot to death in separate incidents across the country, leading Israeli daily Haaretz reported.
The recent killings bring the national death toll from violent crime to 46 in the first six weeks of 2026, according to Haaretz, which added that the vast majority of these victims come from the Arab Israeli community, which has seen homicide rates skyrocket in recent years.
Speaking at a police assessment meeting Thursday, Levy emphasized that local law enforcement cannot solve the crisis alone.
"The war on criminal organizations requires a root cause treatment," Levy said. "Everyone must get involved – including the IDF and the various social nonprofits."
The latest string of fatalities began Wednesday night and stretched into Thursday morning:
Additionally, police are investigating the Tuesday slaying of 29-year-old Saleh Jaber in Kafr Kanna, which investigators believe is linked to an ongoing gang war.
The surge in violence against Arab Israelis has transformed into a domestic crisis, with a member of the community killed in a suspected homicide every 36 hours on average in 2025, Haaretz reported. Total Arab Israeli fatalities reached 249 last year, a stark increase from the 108 recorded in 2022.
The sharp rise coincides with the 2022 appointment of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees the police force.
Critics have frequently pointed to the disparity in resources and enforcement within Arab towns compared to Jewish-majority areas.
