Three Relatives Found Murdered in Burned Car Near Major Israeli Highway

Three young men, two brothers and their cousin, were discovered dead inside a burned car early Sunday morning between the towns of Baqa al-Gharbiyya and Jat in central Israel, near Highway 6. The victims have been identified as brothers Yaso and Qassem Odeh, aged 16 and 20 respectively, and their 22-year-old cousin, Yahia Bassimi. Authorities suspect the three were murdered elsewhere, possibly in Jaljulia, before their bodies and the vehicle were set on fire.

The motive is believed to be criminal. Emergency medical services pronounced the three men dead at the scene after firefighters extinguished the blaze. Witnesses who arrived shortly after the fire reported not seeing any bodies initially, assuming the car was empty.

Police have launched an investigation and deployed significant forces, including a police helicopter, to the area. No arrests have been made yet. This incident is part of a broader trend of violence in the Arab community in Israel, with 173 people murdered since the beginning of the year.

Earlier the same night, an 18-year-old woman was shot and critically injured in the Negev region. The previous day, a man in his 40s was seriously injured and another in his 30s lightly injured in a shooting in Umm al-Fahm. These incidents follow other recent shootings, including a 14-year-old boy injured in Kafr Kanna and a 16-year-old boy injured in Jaljulia.