Three people were shot dead within hours in separate incidents in Arab Israeli communities, bringing the number of violent deaths in these areas to seven just five days into the new year. Among the victims were a father and son, Adham and Nadim Nasser, who were killed in Nazareth in what appears to have been a case of mistaken identity during an underworld hit. Later the same evening, Mahmoud Ghawi, a barber, was fatally shot in Kafr Qara, with police linking both incidents to organized crime.

President Isaac Herzog called the ongoing wave of killings a 'national scourge,' expressing concern over the rising death toll and the government's inability to stem the violence. Community leaders and anti-violence groups have criticized authorities for failing to address the proliferation of organized crime and the widespread availability of firearms, which has led to a surge in shootings and innocent bystanders being caught in the crossfire. Police, however, maintain they are doing all they can, citing challenges such as resident intimidation by criminal groups.