Ten Arrested in Rahat After Wild Driving and Shooting Caught on Video

Police in Rahat arrested ten suspects on Monday morning following the release of disturbing video footage showing individuals firing weapons from a moving vehicle while driving recklessly. The videos depict individuals leaning out of car windows and shooting into the air as the car speeds along a road. Earlier the same day, other footage from the city captured continuous gunfire as children were on their way to educational institutions.

The police stated that the operation, aimed at combating violence, involved officers from the Rahat station, the Sahar unit, and the Southern Border Police. Searches and arrests were conducted at the premises and homes of two families involved in an ongoing dispute that has included shooting incidents. The ten individuals detained were transferred to the Rahat station for further investigation.

This incident follows reports from Saturday, September 28th, when residents in the northern Negev, near Rahat, reported hearing heavy, near-constant gunfire from early morning. Residents of Givot Bar, a community close to the Bedouin city, described the intense small arms and machine gun fire, which began around 6:29 AM, as reminiscent of the October 7th attacks. Despite police patrols being dispatched, the source of the shooting could not be located, leading some residents to threaten forming their own security force to identify the perpetrators. Residents noted the shooting intensified significantly after 6:30 AM on Saturday, recalling it as a "crazy shooting" experience on a Shabbat morning.