Jerusalem, 15 February, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Starting this morning, Sunday, special officers from Israel’s Border Guard’s tactical brigade, together with Southern District police officers, are conducting what the police called a large-scale operation against violent crime in the area of the Bedouin village of Bir Hadaj in the Southern District in the Negev.
Since the beginning of 2026, 48 Israeli-Arabs have been killed in violent incidents.
The Israeli government has been engaged in a massive law enforcement campaign over the past few years to eradicate such crime in Arab communities.
As part of the operation, suspects were arrested for questioning and illegal residents, weapons, various types of drugs not for personal consumption, and other items were seized. In addition, suspected stolen vehicles were confiscated and were suspected of being used for illegal smuggling.
This morning, the Police Commissioner, Chief Superintendent Danny Levy, arrived at the scene, along with the Southern District Commander, Superintendent Haim Boublil, the Border Guard Commander, Superintendent Brick Yitzhak, the Head of the Investigations and Intelligence Division, Superintendent Boaz Blatt, and the person in charge of crime in Arab society, Superintendent Maoz Ben Shevo, in order to closely monitor the activities of the forces.
During the visit, the Commissioner met with police officers operating in the field, was impressed by their activity and determination to eradicate crime, and received a review from the commander of the tactical brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Yaron Dahan, the leader and commander of the forces in the operation.