Scene of murders in Rahat
Photo: Herzl Yosef
Entrance to Rahat
Photo: George Ginsburg
2 men shot dead during brawl in Rahat
Police believe fight in Bedouin town broke out over land dispute; three others sustain moderate wounds
Two men between the ages of 25 and 30 were shot dead Tuesday evening during a brawl in the Bedouin town of Rahat, located in the Negev region.
Three other people sustained moderate injuries and were evacuated to Beersheba's Soroka Medical Center.
Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the shooting, police said.
Large police forces arrived at the scene and broke up the fight. Investigators estimate that a land dispute triggered the violence, but added that they were looking into other possibilities as well.
Magen David Adom emergency services declared a heightened state of alert due to the tensions in Rahat. Dozens of police officers have been deployed throughout the city.
According to initial reports, the two men who were killed in the incident were members of the Al-Huzail family.
About a month ago a 15-year-old Rahat resident stabbed a 14-year-old boy in the heart over a past dispute. The teen, who also resided in Rahat, died of his wounds a week later.
During another brawl that broke out in Rahat some two weeks ago, two young men sustained moderate gunshot wounds.
