A rare and brazen shooting took place late Saturday night in Sakhnin, where masked, armed men approached an office building and opened heavy fire from close range. The gunfire was directed at the building’s glass doors and its upper floors.
The assailants also filmed themselves during the attack. An edited video later circulated on social media, showing one of the gunmen firing long bursts while festive music played over the footage.
The incident adds to a recent wave of violent crime in Sakhnin. Earlier this month, police arrested two armed young men after a chase, immediately after they had fired from the car they were traveling in.
In recent weeks, local business owners have also reported red X marks on their shopfronts, which in the city are being interpreted as target markings and extortion threats from criminal organizations. The latest incidents have renewed public anger in Sakhnin, following January’s general strike and mass protests under the slogan “Our blood is not for sale,” held after a surge in murders and violence in the city and nearby communities.