A man from Tamra was shot dead Tuesday morning on Route 70 near the Galilee village of Kaabiyye, while on his way to work. Magen David Adom crews were called to the scene at 6:28 a.m. and found him with severe penetrating injuries. Despite medical checks, they were forced to pronounce him dead at the scene.
The victim was identified as Raheb Idris. MDA medic Jamal Abu Rumi said the man was lying unconscious, with no pulse and no breathing, and that the injuries were critical.
Police opened an investigation and launched searches for the shooters, saying the incident appears criminal. Investigators are also examining a burned car found near the scene to determine whether it was used by the suspects. Officers are collecting evidence and witness statements in an effort to trace the attackers' escape route.
According to the working theory being checked by police, Idris may have been killed because his son is serving as a state witness in one of the major recent organized crime investigations. The probe is linked to an earlier killing, that of Ziad Abu Naji, who police suspect was also related to a state witness in the same case.