A 67-year-old man from Tamra was shot dead Tuesday morning in the Western Galilee, after six months of heavy security had been posted around his home because he was related to a state witness against a criminal organization in one of the biggest and most serious cases in recent years. Family members said he had left the house and neighborhood about 20 years ago, but security guards, a drone and a police patrol had remained nearby for fear another relative would be harmed.
Relatives said they had repeatedly warned him not to go out, but he insisted on working. “I want to go to work, and I don’t want to die like a fly,” he told them, according to the family. One relative described him as a modest, simple man with good relations with everyone he knew, who had worked for decades in pest control, was always willing to help others, and even donated money from his pocket to people in need.
Police said the man was shot while driving to work, in full view of motorists, near the village of Kaabiyye on Route 70, one of the area’s main roads. Magen David Adom teams pronounced him dead at the scene.
Investigators said the motive is criminal and opened a probe along with searches for suspects. A burned vehicle was found near the shooting scene, and police are checking whether it is connected to the killing. The family said the victim had been due to retire soon and was planning a new chapter in life, but the attackers cut those plans short.
