A man was indicted on Sunday at the Haifa District Court for allegedly shooting a man dead in April amid a dispute with the victim’s son over the sale of an apparently faulty gun.
Kamal Mahamid, 63, was shot and critically wounded at the entrance to his home in the northern city of Umm al-Fahm in April. He was later declared dead at the hospital.
According to the Ynet news site, the main suspect, Mahmoud Agbaria, 23, arrived at Mahamid’s home on April 1 and shouted for the son.
Hearing the calls, Mahamid left the building along with another unnamed family member and spoke with Agbaria.
According to the indictment, Agbaria said that he was looking for the man’s son, because he had sold him a faulty gun.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories
Mahamid said that he had no connection to the sale or the weapon, and that Agbaria should contact his son directly.
נורה למוות בפתח ביתו כי בנו מכר נשק תקול: תיעוד רצח כאמל מחאמיד באום אל פחם לפני כחודשיים >>> https://t.co/DNKWoVxmn8
(אורלי אלקלעי, צילום: משטרת ישראל) pic.twitter.com/kh8SM7dWgs— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 28, 2023
The next day, April 2, Agbaria met the victim’s son and told him that he owed him money. The son denied that there was a debt and a “confrontation” developed, the charge sheet said.
The accused is alleged to have threatened to harm the man and his family.
Agbaria and an unnamed accomplice are then alleged to have armed themselves with a gun and equipped their vehicle with false license plates.
The suspect then phoned the victim, who agreed to meet him outside his home.
Agbaria is alleged to have arrived at the scene and opened fire through a window of the vehicle.
Mahamid was hit by five bullets.
Four people have been arrested in connection with the killing — two for the murder itself and two others for helping the suspects after the fact, according to the Kan public broadcaster.
According to the anti-violence campaign group the Abraham Initiatives, Mahamid was the 43rd member of the Arab community to be killed since the start of the year.
Since his death, the toll has reached 83, with 73 of the victims killed by gunfire.
Arab communities have seen a rising wave of violence in recent years. Many blame the police, whom they say have failed to crack down on powerful criminal organizations and largely ignore the violence, which includes family feuds, mafia turf wars, and violence against women.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a far-right lawmaker who campaigned on promises to beef up public safety, has largely stayed quiet on the soaring crime wave, which is mainly impacting members of the Arab community.
Critics say that in fact he is making policy decisions that actively endanger lives, such as scrapping an anti-crime drive in several Arab towns.
