8-year-old killed, several others hurt in shooting on wedding convoy near Tel Sheva
An eight-year-old boy was shot dead near the southern city of Tel Sheva while partaking in a wedding convoy Friday, police and paramedics say.
The shooting injured six other people, one who is in serious condition, the other five with minor injuries.
The victim, Yousef Awad Abu Rqayiq, succumbed to his wounds after being taken by paramedics to Soroka Medical Center.
Haaretz reports that eyewitnesses say the boy was shot at close range, raising police’s suspicions that he was the intended target of the shooting, which officers speculate was a revenge attack related to feuding criminal groups in Bedouin society.
Police say that large number of forces from the Southern District are operating in Tel Sheva and its surrounding area to probe the incident and locate suspects.
Violent crime in Arab society has spiraled in recent years, claiming 91 lives since the start of 2025.
Earlier this week, Israel’s Channel 12 news reported an 84% jump in the number of Arab community homicides compared to the same time last year, citing the Abraham Initiatives organization.
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