Israeli police shoot dead Arab-Israeli after attack

Israeli officers on Friday shot dead an Arab-Israeli after he attempted to fired at them and then rammed them with his car near Tel Aviv, the police said.

The incident occurred in Kafr Qassem, an Arab-Israeli city on the edge of Tel Aviv and just outside the occupied West Bank. Violence has surged in the West Bank since March when Israel began near daily raids following a series of deadly attacks targeting Israelis.

In a statement, police said the suspect had called police on the pretext of “a violent incident”, which brought them to Kafr Qassem. 

“When police arrived on the scene he ran at them with a gun, and then got into his car and knocked them down,” the police statement said. 

Three officers were injured before the suspect was “neutralised by shooting”, it added.

Sobhi Bedir, an uncle of the dead man, Naim Mahmoud Bedir, told AFP his nephew was innocent. 

“When the police kill a Palestinian in Israel, they say he is a terrorist or planning an attack,” he said. 

Incoming Israeli prime minister Benyamin Netanyahu praised the police “who acted professionally and quickly to eliminate the terrorist… and avert a major attack,” a statement from his office said. 

Members of the new governing coalition announced by Netanyahu late Wednesday have called for an even tougher crackdown on Palestinians.

The prospective national security minister in the new government, Itamar Ben Gvir of the far-right Jewish Power party, has repeatedly urged Israeli security personnel to use more force when countering Palestinian unrest.

At least 150 Palestinians and 26 Israelis have been killed this year across Israel, the occupied West Bank and Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. 

A further 49 Palestinians were killed during three days of fighting between Gaza Strip militants and Israel in August.

According to United Nations data, 2022 has been the deadliest year since the 2002-2005 Palestinian uprising, known as the Second Intifada.