17-Year-Old Wiam Faisal Fatally Shot Outside Haifa Convenience Store

Wiam Faisal, a 17-year-old with no criminal record, was fatally shot outside a convenience store in Haifa last Thursday. He was among seven young men targeted by gunfire, and was hit twice in the head as he tried to seek cover inside the store. Faisal succumbed to his injuries over the weekend at Rambam Hospital in Haifa. His family donated his organs, which saved the lives of seven people.

Speaking on Kan News Radio on Sunday, Faisal's uncle, Sami Faisal, urged parents to take responsibility for their children, emphasizing the need for control and guidance. Sami recounted the shooting, describing how a vehicle arrived and opened fire on the group, with Wiam caught in the crossfire. He also expressed frustration with the police and government officials, including Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and the police commissioner, attributing half the responsibility for such incidents to law enforcement and half to families.

The incident is part of a broader wave of violence in the region, with recent reports of two men shot dead in Dir Hana and Umm al-Fahm, and a suspected murder involving a member of the Hariri crime organization in Haifa linked to a car explosion.