Pharmacist Wounded in Shooting Weeks After His Business Targeted for Protection Money

Pharmacist Awad Zbeidat was moderately wounded in a shooting incident in the city of Sakhnin, amid a rising wave of crime and violence affecting the Arab community in Israel. The shooting occurred approximately one month after Zbeidat's pharmacy was targeted with gunfire, an attack that led to its temporary closure. This earlier incident was reportedly linked to threats and demands for "khawa," or protection money, from criminal elements.

Zbeidat had previously publicly criticized National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and the police, accusing them of persistent inaction against criminal gangs and the "khawa" phenomenon that targets businesses and civilians.

The latest attack adds to concerns about escalating violence within the Arab community, with previous incidents including threats and property damage related to extortion demands.