A Palestinian from the West Bank who was shot and kidnapped overnight Monday in the city of Taibe in central Israel has been located, police said Tuesday.
The victim had arrived at a medical clinic in Taibe with a gunshot wound to his leg. He was kidnapped from an ambulance by an armed assailant while en route to a nearby hospital, medical staff told police.
Following an extensive manhunt launched by police, officers were eventually able to apprehend the suspected attacker, a resident of Taibe.
The victim was apparently released by his kidnapper in the West Bank and was located by police shortly after.
An initial investigation into the unusual incident found that the shooting and subsequent kidnapping were the results of an ongoing feud between two families that started in the West Bank and continued in Taibe — ending in the violent incident.
Following his interrogation, the suspect will be brought before a judge later Tuesday for a remand hearing, police said.
A view of Taibe. (Moshe Shai/Flash90)
The incident was the latest in an unrelenting crime wave gripping Israel’s Arab communities.
It took place at around the same time as a shooting in Lod Monday night that killed a mother and one of her 14-year-old twin daughters. The second twin was seriously injured in the attack. The three victims were Arab Israeli residents of Lod. In photos released by police, it appeared the three were in a vehicle when they were fired upon.
On Sunday, journalist Nadal Ijbaria died from gunshot wounds in the northern Arab city of Umm al-Fahm, after being the target of threats for an extended period.
According to the Abraham Initiatives, a group campaigning against violence in the Arab community, at least 75 Arab Israelis have been killed so far this year in violent crimes.
