Security Apartheid : Four Palestinian citizens of Israel killed in the Iran strike of Tamra

Tamra, a city of 37,400 where four women from one family were killed by a missile yesterday, has zero public shelters, while the Jewish town of Mitzpe Aviv (population 1,100) right next to it has 13.

Footage circulated where Israelis celebrated as Iranian missiles struck the predominantly Palestinian Israeli town of Tamra. Four Palestinians from the same family were killed after a missile hit a residential building in the town.

Ruins of the Khatib family home in which Manar Khatib, her two daughter and sister-in-law all died in two ‘safe rooms’ in the blast from an Iranian missile. Photograph: Quique Kierszenbaum/The Guardian

Many Palestinian citizens of Israel don’t have access to safe rooms or underground shelter, while Jewish Israelis do. This isn't neglect, it's deliberate. Iran’s missile strikes revealed the systemic discrimination faced by Palestinian citizens. The unequal response underscores Israel’s apartheid system, where Palestinians are treated as second-class citizens even in life-or-death situations.

Tamra’s mayor, Mussa Abu Rumi, stated that the Israeli government has never built a single shelter in Arab towns, exposing racial inequality in civil defense infrastructure. Despite pledging loyalty to Israel, residents in Tamra feel neglected and unprotected, with rescue efforts left largely to locals. The mayor and others point to growing far-right influence in Israeli politics and systemic discrimination as root causes of such disparities.

Ayman Odeh, Knesset member and friend of the victims, criticized the Netanyahu government, accusing it of exploiting conflict and ignoring the unresolved Palestinian issue.

Name of the victims:

Manar Al-Fakhri Khatib / Khatib Manar Al-Qassem Abu Al-Heija / Khatib Shatha Khatib Razan Khatib Hala Khatib