Police Deploy Snipers in Rahat, Vowing Retaliation for Gunfire

Israeli police confirmed on Friday they had deployed snipers and sharpshooters on rooftops in the Bedouin city of Rahat as part of an operation against armed individuals involved in shooting incidents in the area. The deployment was ordered by Southern District Commander Superintendent Haim Bublil following an assessment of the situation, which determined the need to reinforce the city's security with special units. This decision followed the circulation of images on social media showing armed individuals on rooftops, which raised questions among residents. Police clarified that the individuals in the photos were security forces operating during the mission, not perpetrators of shootings. The forces have been instructed to identify and neutralize armed suspects engaged in firing. Police stated this new policy aims to send a clear message to those involved in shootings: "Shooting will be met with shooting." These directives have been communicated to all officers in the Southern District as part of intensified efforts against severe crime and violent disputes within the Bedouin community. According to police sources, over 600 weapons of various types and tens of thousands of rounds of stolen military ammunition have been seized in the South since the beginning of the year. The Southern District reported that numerous forces are operating in Bedouin communities to prevent escalations of existing conflicts and to apprehend and prosecute key suspects involved in criminal activity. Police added that the operation is intended to continue the downward trend in shooting incidents and prevent further escalation in the region. This deployment is part of a series of enforcement actions by the police in the Southern District in recent days, including the arrest of a 15-year-old minor in Tel Sheva for assaulting family members and the foiling of an illegal camel race in a firing zone in the Negev.