Son of Israeli deputy mayor murdered in criminal shooting - report

The son of the deputy mayor of the Israeli-Arab city of Nazareth was killed overnight in a shooting between criminals, Israeli media outlets reported.

The victim, 25-year-old Ruid Mohammad Awaisa, was taken to the hospital in critical condition but was later declared dead. Police are still investigating the incident, according to N12.

This is the 41st murder in Israel's Arab sector since the start of 2023, Ynet reported.

Israeli Arab crime ring member shot and killed

Just hours earlier, another Arab Israeli was shot to death in the town of Jaljulia.

The victim, age 28, was a financier and a senior figure in one of Israel's largest criminal syndicates, belonging to notorious Israeli criminal Odeh Kotier.

The victim was reportedly shot while walking down the street. Police are currently unsure how the victim's assassin managed to arrive and flee the scene.

Odeh Kotier is considered by many to be one of Israel's most infamous criminals and was labeled "the most dangerous prisoner in Israel." However, Kotier was sentenced to just 18 years in prison in January 2023 as part of a plea deal instead of the 74 years he was facing, N12 reported at the time.

To this day, Kotier's crime syndicate is considered one of the largest in Israel, especially in the Arab sector.

Alon Hochman/Maariv contributed to this report.