The Peres Center for Peace in Jaffa, Israel. Photo: Ori~/Wikicommons.

i24 News – Unknown gunmen chased down and killed an Arab Israeli man on Saturday afternoon on the Jaffa beachfront, near Tel Aviv.

Eyewitnesses said the victim ran toward the sea as he was fleeing the assailants, who fired at least 10 shots.

The shocking incident unfolded in broad daylight and was witnessed by dozens of visitors who flocked to the beachfront.

Paramedics said they found the man unconscious in the water near the pier with gunshot wounds; he was taken to the nearest hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police named the victim as 38-year-old Abed Kazaz, saying the Jaffa resident was a known local criminal and his killing was part of a gangland feud.

In recent years, Arab Israelis have seen rates of violence increase in their communities, including upward of 100 violent deaths in 2021.