Bedouin Outpost Gunfire Near Negev Youth Activity Sparks Fear
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS by baba
Residents of Nevatim in the Negev reported intense gunfire from a nearby Bedouin area on Friday, occurring close to a youth scouting activity. Residents expressed fear for their safety and criticized the state's perceived inaction. Police have opened an investigation, while the Finance Minister acknowledged the dangerous situation and called for action. Similar incidents of gunfire have been reported in Rahat earlier this month.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Nevatim residents reported intense gunfire from the Bedouin population near a youth scouting activity.
- Residents expressed extreme fear for their safety and criticized perceived state inaction.
- Police have opened an investigation into the incident in the Negev.
- Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich acknowledged the dangerous situation and called for immediate correction.
- Similar gunfire incidents have recently occurred in Rahat, drawing criticism.
- Calls were made for administrative orders to combat illegal weapons and ordnance.
Residents of the Nevatim moshav in the Negev reported intense gunfire originating from the nearby Bedouin population on Friday. The shooting, described as "mounted gunfire," occurred while dozens of children and teenagers were participating in a Scout movement activity in the vicinity. One Nevatim resident told i24NEWS that the gunfire was dozens of meters from homes and that the police commander attributed it to a clan dispute. She also noted a daily weapons smuggling route nearby, stating that previous incidents, including a morning drone sighting last Saturday, had gone unaddressed by police.
Another resident expressed deep fear, stating the shooting was only 40 meters from homes while children were nearby. She lamented the perceived indifference of the state to the rise of what she called an "army within the country's territory." Residents described feeling unsafe, with one expressing fear of being killed and another recounting a friend's desire to flee the area.
The police station in Aroer has opened an investigation into the incident. Hagi Raznik, head of the Ripman Institute for Negev Development, called for immediate administrative search and arrest orders for illegal weapons and ordnance, warning that without them, the shooting would intensify. He criticized the situation as unacceptable for a developed country.
Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich commented on the shooting, acknowledging the dangerous situation in the Negev and Galilee and calling for immediate correction. He reiterated a plan to Judaize the regions by replicating settlement expansion from Judea and Samaria, urging voters not to support small parties that could hinder the national bloc.
Earlier in the month, residents of Rahat experienced intense, continuous gunfire throughout the town. Residents criticized the police and the situation, with one expressing a hope that stray bullets would hit vehicles in nearby communities like Lahavim or Mash'abei Sadeh to provoke a serious response. A resident of Gevot Bar added that the "normal population" in Rahat also suffers and needs army intervention, not just police.
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