Four individuals were injured Saturday night in a violent incident in the town of Kafr Kanna in the lower Galilee, police said in a statement.
Eyewitnesses at the scene reported that the explosion, which occurred before the gunfire, was followed by a drone hovering over the area, from which a grenade was reportedly dropped towards those present. Large police forces arrived shortly after and initiated an investigation.
Initial findings indicate that the event represents an escalation in the ongoing violent conflict between the Awada and Taaha families, who live in the town. Sources from Kafr Kanna who spoke to N12 noted that, despite a recent ceasefire agreement (“Hudna”) reached between the parties, the calm was disrupted in recent days. It appears that Saturday’s events were a direct continuation of an escalation that began Friday, when former council head Youssef Awada reported that unknown assailants had fired at his home while he was there with his family.
Magen David Adom (MDA) teams who were called to the scene provided life-saving medical care to the four victims, who suffered severe penetrating injuries. Among the wounded was a man in his 30s, whose condition was described as critical but stable, and three other individuals in moderate condition: an 18-year-old woman, a 40-year-old woman, and an elderly man in his 80s. All victims were evacuated for further medical treatment at the  Tzafon Medical Center near Tiberias and the Italian Hospital in Nazareth.
“We arrived at the location in coordination with the police forces and found the victims suffering from shrapnel and gunshot wounds,” said MDA paramedic Anas Awada, who treated the victims at the scene.
“We provided them with rapid treatment that included stopping bleeding and bandaging, and evacuated them to the hospitals while they were conscious and in stable condition.”
There has been a sharp rise in violent crime in the Arab-Israeli communities, with nearly 50 people killed within the sector since the start of 2026, according to the Abraham Initiatives, an NGO that advances social inclusion and equal rights for Arab Israelis.
Last year was the deadliest year so far for the Arab sector in Israel, according to a December report by the Abraham Initiatives.
The crime rates have led to recent protests throughout the country, demonstrating against the government and police’s handling of the situation.
Keshet Neev contributed to this report.