00:25A powerful car
00:27explosion in northern Israel has left one man dead, but authorities are calling it
00:33something very different from a terror attack. A vehicle blast in the Kiryat Haim neighborhood
00:40of Haifa triggered panic after residents reported a loud explosion and heavy smoke rising from a
00:47burning car. The incident occurred on Ahi Eilat Boulevard in a residential area of northern
00:54Israel, not far from the city's industrial zones. Emergency services rushed to the scene after
01:01multiple eyewitnesses described a sudden, powerful blast that shook nearby streets.
01:07Inside the vehicle, responders found a man who had been pulled from the burning wreckage.
01:13He was later pronounced dead at the scene by medical teams.
01:17Israeli authorities have identified the victim as Rabi Abu Haikal, a man in his 50s with a known
01:24criminal background. He was reportedly linked to organized crime networks and had previously been
01:31a suspect in a high-profile murder case. Police say early evidence points to a targeted criminal
01:38assassination, most likely involving an explosive device planted in or under the vehicle. At this
01:45stage, investigators are treating the incident as part of Israel's ongoing organized crime conflict
01:51rather than a terrorist attack. Officials have also confirmed that no other civilians were injured
01:58despite the explosion occurring in a populated residential area. Families nearby reported hearing a loud
02:05boom, with some initially mistaking it for a larger attack due to its intensity. Emergency crews
02:12quickly secured the area, extinguished the fire, and began forensic analysis of the wreckage to determine
02:18the exact type of explosive used. This incident is part of a broader wave of violence inside Israel's
02:25Arab communities, where criminal gangs and organized networks have increasingly relied on shootings and
02:32car bombings to settle disputes. According to local reports, this was one of several killings
02:38in just a short span of days, highlighting a continuing surge in internal gang-related violence.
02:45Israeli police continue to investigate the case, but as of now, no arrests have been announced,
02:51and authorities are working to trace those responsible for what appears to be a carefully planned hit.
02:57Despite misleading claims circulating online linking the blast to geopolitical tensions, Israeli officials
03:05maintain that this was a domestic criminal incident with no connection to military or regional conflict.
03:13For now, the investigation remains ongoing as forensic teams examine the scene and security forces monitor
03:20for possible retaliation in the ongoing crime networks operating in the region.
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