A school principal was shot and moderately wounded in the institution's parking lot in the northern Arab city of Arraba on Monday, as a wave of violence continues to sweep through the sector.
Rodeina Shalata was rushed to Baruch Padeh Medical Center in Tiberias after gunmen fired several shots at her as she was exiting her vehicle before the start of school, hitting her lower body.
Pupils were sent home after the shooting and five of them suffered from shock.
Police launched a manhunt after the perpetrator, but no suspects have been arrested yet.
Speaking from her hospital bed, the educator was thankful for being alive.
"I never thought in my worst nightmares that something like this would happen to me. Many red lines have been crossed. It's a miracle I am still alive," she said.
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Rodina Shelaate in her hospital bed at Baruch Padeh Medical Center in Tiberias
(Photo: Israel Moskowitz)
"I will remain strong and keep doing my job, that's my mission! No one imagines it will get to their doorstep, but there are no boundaries anymore… I want to send out a message that we will remain strong, we must remain strong, so things don’t get worse."
Israel's Arab sector has been bedeviled by a steep rise in violence in recent years, largely driven by organized crime, having counted at least 111 dead since the beginning of 2021 according to the Abraham Initiatives nonprofit.
Israeli Arabs blame police and authorities for years of failing to address the issue and crack down on organized crime in their communities.