Violence Escalates in Northern Israel as Organized Crime Blasts Shake Communities

Haifa, Israel — A man was injured on Sunday following a vehicle explosion on a highway north of Haifa, in what police suspect is the latest in a string of attacks tied to Israel’s ongoing organized crime violence.

This most recent incident, which occurred on Route 22 near the Bialik interchange, follows a troubling pattern of escalating underworld warfare across the country.

According to the Magen David Adom rescue service, the victim, reported to be around 35 years old, was taken to Rambam Hospital with injuries described as light to moderate.

Hebrew media outlets noted that the explosion, which significantly disrupted traffic in the area, caused widespread alarm among motorists. Authorities have urged drivers to avoid the affected section of the highway while investigations are underway.

A String of Explosions and Shootings

Sunday’s blast is part of a surge in violent incidents connected to criminal gangs, marking a particularly dangerous period of violence across Israel’s cities and towns.

Just days earlier, on Friday, another car explosion rocked the northern city of Acre, seriously injuring a man in his 30s. Police indicated that the Acre explosion was likely related to a criminal dispute.

Disturbingly, the blast also resulted in injuries to the man’s 4-year-old son and several others, including a 41-year-old man, a 21-year-old woman, and a 15-year-old girl, who sustained light to moderate injuries.

Earlier on Friday, a man in his 40s was shot dead in the central city of Tira. This followed a devastating car explosion in the city of Ramle on Thursday, where four people were killed and nine others injured, including a two-month-old baby.

The intensity of the Ramle blast not only claimed lives but also sparked a fire that spread to two nearby stores.

All these attacks, according to police, appear to be linked to disputes between rival criminal organizations, which have turned the streets into battlegrounds for ongoing power struggles.

Ramle Explosion: A Deadly Escalation

The explosion in Ramle was among the deadliest attacks in recent memory. Police have connected the incident to an ongoing feud between the notorious Jarushi and Abu Zaid crime families.

The car targeted in the blast, along with the nearby stores, was believed to be linked to the Jarushi family, a powerful faction within Israel’s organized crime world.

The four victims of the explosion were identified as Daa Abu Halawa, 50, her children Sila, 14, and Muhammad, 10, and a 24-year-old woman named Leen Mugrabi.

All were members of the Arab Israeli community, which has increasingly found itself caught in the crossfire of gang violence.

Police arrested a 17-year-old on Friday in connection with the Ramle attack, as part of a broader crackdown on organized crime in the area.

Some 500 officers participated in raids across the cities of Ramle and Lod, as well as in the unrecognized Arab village of Dahmash, in a bid to dismantle criminal operations linked to the blast.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the explosion was caused by a grenade, reportedly stolen from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and held by a suspect already known to authorities.

Ben Gvir Under Fire for Crime Surge

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, whose portfolio includes oversight of the police, has faced mounting criticism over his handling of the recent spike in gang violence.

Since taking office in late 2022, Ben Gvir has repeatedly vowed to address organized crime, particularly within the Arab community, where homicides and violent crime have been on the rise.

However, the numbers paint a grim picture. According to data from the Abraham Initiatives nonprofit, 169 members of the Arab community have been killed in violent crimes since the start of 2024.

This surge has sparked outrage among community leaders, who have accused the police of failing to protect Arab citizens and of neglecting to dismantle powerful criminal organizations that operate with relative impunity.

Many Arab Israeli leaders have expressed frustration over the seeming indifference of authorities toward the violence plaguing their communities, which includes everything from mafia turf wars to domestic violence and family feuds.

Critics have pointed to the growing frequency of car bombings, shootings, and attacks on women as evidence of a systemic failure to address organized crime.

Speaking at the scene of the deadly Ramle explosion, Ben Gvir attempted to shift the blame for the ongoing violence, targeting Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara for allegedly refusing his request to use administrative detention against criminal suspects.

Administrative detention, a controversial practice typically reserved for Palestinian and Jewish terror suspects, allows individuals to be held without trial for extended periods.

The idea of extending this practice to fight organized crime has faced strong opposition from Israeli security officials, as well as from civil rights groups concerned about the potential for abuse.

Communities Demand Accountability

While Ben Gvir has sought to deflect responsibility, residents of Ramle and other communities ravaged by gang violence have demanded more decisive action.

Many accuse the government of failing to invest in long-term solutions to dismantle crime syndicates that have become deeply embedded in some of Israel’s most marginalized areas.

“There is no excuse for what is happening,” said one Ramle resident who witnessed the aftermath of the explosion. “We’re scared to leave our homes because of these criminals. The government has to do more to protect us.”

In response to the recent wave of attacks, police have ramped up operations targeting organized crime, but the scale of the violence has left many questioning whether law enforcement has the resources or strategy to effectively tackle the problem.

Meanwhile, tensions between rival gangs show no signs of abating, with police bracing for further retaliation in the coming days.

The use of explosives, in particular, has escalated dramatically in recent months, with criminal factions increasingly resorting to bombings as a means of settling scores.

This rise in violent tactics has only added to the sense of fear and insecurity felt by many residents, particularly in the Arab Israeli community, which has borne the brunt of the recent surge in homicides.

Conclusion

As Israel grapples with the mounting toll of organized crime, the calls for a comprehensive strategy to curb the violence grow louder.

While police continue their crackdown, questions remain about whether the current approach will be enough to break the cycle of violence and bring justice to those affected.

For now, the streets of cities like Ramle, Acre, and Tira remain in the grip of criminal factions, with innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire of a battle that shows no signs of ending soon.