Gunfire during the day. Gunfire at night. In cities, Bedouin communities and the surrounding countryside. Across a vast stretch of southern Israel's Negev desert, residents say they are suffering from the same relentless problem, from Rahat, Tel Sheva and Omer to Retamim in the Ramat Negev Regional Council and the communities of Nevatim and Givot Bar in the Bnei Shimon Regional Council.
Rahat Mayor Talal al-Krenawi expressed confidence in the police but acknowledged that the gunfire could not be ignored. "There is no doubt that there has been scattered gunfire over the past week," he said. "These are not brawls. These are arms dealers testing weapons. This is a matter for the police, not the municipality or the community."
Gunfire heard in Nevatim
The practice of arms dealers taking weapons out for a "test drive" for prospective buyers is nothing new. Residents of Nevatim, among others, have long suffered from the phenomenon, with certain areas regularly used by dealers and buyers as makeshift firing ranges. After all, prospective buyers want to test the merchandise before purchasing it.
"There is constant gunfire at night," said a Nevatim resident. "By the time the police reach the more remote parts of the area, the criminals have already disappeared. Over the past year, the gunfire has become more intense and frequent, including shooting incidents in broad daylight. Despite police efforts and the recruitment of volunteers to help protect our homes, we feel as though we've gone backward. All these efforts are just a drop in the ocean."
A resident of one of the Bedouin communities described an atmosphere of fear and lawlessness. "It's the Wild West. It's not like it used to be. Today, you worry about every step your children take. You never know where the danger will come from. We think twice before going out because we're afraid. We used to let our children walk home from school, but now we make sure to drive them there and back because you never know what might happen. Young people do whatever they want, and nobody holds them accountable. They know it, and they don't care. It's a terrible feeling."
Al-Krenawi said local authorities were cooperating fully with the police but argued that more sustained enforcement was needed. "The amount of weapons out there justifies establishing a command center in Rahat for an extended period, not just two weeks or a month. In the meantime, we're purchasing drones through philanthropic donations. I must point out that shooting incidents in the city have fallen by more than 40% since the beginning of the year. But when police forces leave the city, the shooting returns."
Residents of Rahat themselves are increasingly desperate. Just last week, kindergarten and elementary school children had to make their way to school while gunfire could be heard in the background. In such circumstances, it is hardly surprising that many residents feel there is little point even calling the police.
Weapons seized in Rahat
(Photo: Israel Police)
In practice, complaints from residents of Jewish communities tend to attract greater attention, including from the media. Nir Zamir, head of the Bnei Shimon Regional Council, said: "We view the shooting incidents and the harm to our residents' personal security with the utmost seriousness, particularly in recent weeks. The reality in which Negev residents, Jews and Bedouins alike, suffer from the terror of gunfire, violence and a lack of law enforcement is intolerable and demands immediate, fundamental action."
Zamir said local authorities were working continuously to protect residents but stressed that they could not replace the state's law enforcement and judicial institutions. "We call on those responsible at the national level, the government, the National Security Ministry, the police and the justice system, to step up efforts on the ground to tackle gunfire and the breakdown of law and order in the Negev. Our residents' personal security is not a privilege. It is the state's most basic obligation to all its citizens," he said.
Omer Local Council head Erez Badash argued that the latest shooting incident reflected a much broader security threat. "The latest shooting incident in the Negev is not an isolated case. It is further evidence on the ground supporting the warning issued by the head of the Shin Bet during a Cabinet meeting," he claimed. "The processes of radicalization and 'Palestinization' in the Negev are no longer merely a local criminal problem but a strategic and national threat.
Over the years, the increase in marriages to women from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank has brought extremist influences and ideologies into the Bedouin population. We have been seeing the consequences on the ground for years, from the events of Operation Guardian of the Walls in 2021 to the armed groups operating today."
"Even if this involves a minority of the population, when that minority is driven by a radical agenda and possesses hundreds of thousands of weapons, it dictates the reality and the balance of security on the ground," Badash continued. His claims about the scale of the weapons and the causes of radicalization were not substantiated in the report.
"The events of October 7 showed us all the price of turning a blind eye. It is time for the Israeli government and the prime minister to move from words to action: determined enforcement, cutting off weapons smuggling and addressing nationalist radicalization at its roots before the next disaster occurs."
Israel Police said in response: "Calls received by the police emergency hotline, 100, were answered and handled immediately, and police forces operated on the ground to stop the gunfire. Israel Police continues determined and sustained operational activity in the area, during which arrests have been made and weapons seized. These operations have led to a reduction in shooting incidents in the region and will continue in order to strengthen residents' security and protect public safety."