Israel’s police chief warned Thursday that the country was facing a "national state of emergency" amid a wave of homicide targeting the country's Arab minority, according to local media.
The announcement by Commissioner Danny Levy followed a 24-hour span in which five Arab Israelis were shot to death in separate incidents across the country, leading Israeli daily Haaretz reported.
The recent killings bring the national death toll from violent crime to 46 in the first six weeks of 2026, according to Haaretz, which added that the vast majority of these victims come from the Arab Israeli community, which has seen homicide rates skyrocket in recent years.
Speaking at a police assessment meeting Thursday, Levy emphasized that local law enforcement cannot solve the crisis alone.
"The war on criminal organizations requires a root cause treatment," Levy said. "Everyone must get involved – including the IDF and the various social nonprofits."
