Three Young Men Found Shot and Burned to Death Near Jatt
Three young men from Jaljulia were found shot dead inside a burning car near Jatt, bringing the 2026 Arab community homicide toll to 176.
Three young men from Jaljulia—brothers Zein (16) and Qasem Odeh (19), and their cousin Yahya Basimi (22)—were found dead early Sunday morning in the back seat of a burning vehicle in an open area near Jatt in the Sharon region.
Police suspect the victims were shot to death before the car was set on fire roughly 36 kilometers north of their hometown. The investigation is being led by the Coastal District's central unit (YAMAR), and no arrests have been reported thus far.
Jaljulia Mayor Rabi Darwish expressed profound shock to Walla: "A deep mourning has descended upon our city. With great sorrow, we learned of this tragedy. People in the city are relying on social media rumors. One thing is clear: the government has yet to take effective action against murderous crime in Arab society, and we call on it to act immediately."
With this fatal incident, the number of Arabs killed in Israel in 2026 has reached 176, according to data from the Abraham Initiatives organization, compared to 179 during the same period last year.
MDA emergency medic Abd Bayadsi and paramedic Ahva Saadia recounted: "When we arrived at the scene, we saw a vehicle engulfed in flames. After firefighting operations, we discovered three unconscious men inside, without pulse or respiration. We had no choice but to pronounce them dead on the spot."
