Based on the severity of the events in the southern Bedouin city of Rahat over the past 24 hours, it appears the State of Israel has lost its ability to impose its sovereignty there and govern.
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"In Rahat, we are taking care of the mosquitos but we aren't draining the swamp, so why are we surprised at the non-stop, indiscriminate shooting over there?" a senior Israel Police official told Israel Hayom on Sunday.
According to the official, the police's handling of the latest shooting incidents in Rahat has been deficient.
"Criminals go underground when [the police] bring in a task force for one or two days. It's impossible to fight the crime in such a city with two intelligence officers and eight detectives. You need more manpower – dozens of police officers per station," he added.
Other senior officers have pointed an accusatory finger at the legal system. "Fines don't deter criminals who have been convicted of breaking gun laws," another official explained.
Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai on Sunday convened a situational assessment with Southern District commander, Superintendent Peretz Amar, after which it was decided to put more pressure on criminal elements in the city. "We view the shootings at cafes and cultural centers as acts of terror, and it doesn't matter what the motive is. We won't tolerate it," Shabtai vowed.
On Sunday, a 14-year-old girl was shot and seriously wounded overnight Saturday while in her home. She is currently in intensive care at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, unconscious and on a ventilator.
Nahmidu Abu Ali, the mother of the girl who was shot and wounded, said: "There was shooting all night long. We called the police and reported it, but they didn't come. At 5 a.m. my daughter was wounded at home. I still don't know how or where [the bullet] entered [the house]. I haven't heard from the police since the investigator took our testimony, I don't think they went to the house to see what happened."
Among the most violent cities in Israel
According to reports, masked assailants exited a white vehicle armed with rifles and opened fire at nearby shops, in full view of passersby. Earlier, armed assailants opened fire at a café in the city, which had already been targeted earlier this month because it employs women in the evenings. Some of the bullets penetrated private homes in the vicinity.
Such events are commonplace in Rahat, which has long since turned into a battle zone and one of the most violent cities in the country. Over the past month and a half, there have been 16 violent incidents. Only two of those didn't include a firearm. According to the police, one person was killed, 11 were wounded, and 13 people were arrested in the wake of those events.
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