The Southern District of the Israel Police is intensifying its operations against numerous violent conflicts in the Negev, categorized as 'red and bloody.' According to police reports, 17 active disputes in Rahat and the village of Tarabin are explosive friction points, often fueled by trivial daily arguments that escalate into murders, shootings, and the throwing of explosive devices. In response, National Guard forces were recently replaced by the SAAR unit, which consists of 230 combatants and officers from elite units. The unit employs advanced technological assets, including drones and 'Sky Riders,' and operates under a model dubbed 'Ahead of the Trigger'—aiming to prevent the outbreak of violence through advance intelligence and dialogue. Unit commander, Deputy Commissioner Meir Hakmon, noted that the police maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward shooting, which includes immediate operational responses to neutralize armed individuals posing a public danger. Alongside operational activity, broad economic enforcement is being carried out, including the forfeiture of vehicles and funds and the closure of businesses linked to criminal elements.
On the legal front, there has been a conceptual shift in the Southern District Attorney's Office. According to Adv. Ira Weiman-Krikon of the State Attorney’s Office, current policy focuses on filing indictments for shooting offenses even in circumstances where no physical harm was caused. The general approach holds that the act of shooting itself constitutes a tangible threat to human life and justifies strict criminal proceedings without waiting for actual injury to occur. Data points to a real increase in enforcement: in the first half of 2026, 31 indictments were filed for shooting offenses, a figure comparable to the entirety of 2025. Simultaneously, the Southern District reports a 20% decrease in shooting incidents in September 2026 and a 67% decline in murder incidents in the Bedouin sector since May. Official data indicates an overall 25% decrease in property crimes, alongside an increase in the number of indictments filed for protection racketeering and illegal weapons offenses. The police emphasize that enforcement is carried out without sectoral discrimination and that the common denominator in these cases is the disregard for human life and the real risk posed to the general public.