Palestine, (The Palestine Information Centre)Two more young Palestinian men have been shot dead in southern Israeli-occupied territories amid rising levels of violence in their communities and the Israeli police’s collaboration with criminal gangs.
Sharif Anees Sheikh Al-Eid and Ibrahim Nidal Sheikh Al-Eid, both aged 20 and from the Palestinian Bedouin town of Rahat, were killed in the early hours of Wednesday morning in a drive-by shooting in southern Israel.
The victims were driving near the Lehavim Junction when suspects opened fire from another moving vehicle.
They were taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition before being pronounced dead at dawn on Wednesday morning.
The number of Palestinians killed in Israel this year has now reached 144, a record high.
Israeli police have opened an investigation into the murders but have so far made no arrests.
In recent months, Palestinian citizens of Israel have denounced police “complicity” amid a record-high murder rate in their community.
Raed Salah, a prominent religious leader and a Palestinian citizen of Israel said the Tel Aviv regime forces have been notorious for protecting criminal gangs in Arab towns.
“This is based on accusations made by some Israeli officials against each other in regards to providing protection to gang leaders and slowing investigations,” Salah, who is the head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, said.
“The position taken by Israeli institutions on how to deal with this tragedy is suspicious,” he added.
