Mass brawl in northern Israel escalates to gunfire and police chase

A violent mass fight in the northern village of Mashhad escalated into live gunfire, a police pursuit and a crash that ended in the village of Rome. Police said the incident stemmed from a local dispute and began in the evening, when several family members were lightly wounded in stabbings during the brawl.

After large Northern District police forces arrived and calmed the scene, a car with two suspects returned. The occupants opened fire at people in the residential area, triggering panic. Residents threw stones and objects at the vehicle as officers spotted it fleeing and began a chase through northern roads.

The pursuit lasted several minutes until the car entered Rome, where police had blocked the route with a patrol car. The driver refused to stop and rammed the police vehicle. Officers then surrounded the car and arrested the two occupants, ages 25 and 27. Police later recovered the handgun and ammunition used in the shooting.

Video released by police shows the brawl with punches, wooden sticks and clubs, as well as the arrest after the collision. In bodycam footage, an officer can be seen aiming his personal weapon at the suspects, while another report says a live round was found inside the car. Investigators also linked one defendant to the earlier stabbing, and a third suspect, age 31, was arrested for involvement in the fight and stabbings. The Nazareth police prosecution unit filed indictments for the brawl and stabbings, and the Northern District prosecution filed serious charges over the shooting, endangering lives and the chase.