A 4-year-old boy was shot and killed on Thursday at a playground in the Bedouin town in northern Israel.
According to police, the victim - identified as Imran Muhammad Hujayrat - was playing at the playground in Bir al-Maksur when he was mortally hit in the head and neck by an apparent stray bullet in front of his mother.
He was treated by Magen David Adom paramedics who then evacuated him to Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa, where he eventually succumbed to his injuries.
Several eyewitnesses said that the shooting was carried out at a nearby construction site following a scuffle between several people, including a local well-known contractor.
Police added that while the shooter’s identity is still unknown, two suspects aged 34 and 35 have already been arrested, while four others were detained for questioning.
Public Security Minister Omer Barlev said it was "heartbreaking" to hear of Hujayrat's death and vowed that law enforcement authorities "won't rest until the gunmen are brought to justice."
"We will fight the crime and violence that are mercilessly harming the Arab public," he said.
Arab communities have seen a surge in violence in recent years, driven mainly, but not exclusively, by organized crime, which claimed the lives of over 100 people in 2021, including several women and children.
First published: 18:11, 01.06.22