Shocking Arrest: Council Member Caught With Chainsaw in Massive Southern Brawl

A major breakthrough in the investigation into Sunday’s massive brawl in Ofakim has revealed that one of the primary suspects is an elected public official. Police forces, including the specialized Yoav unit, conducted a targeted raid in the Negev town of Ar'ara to apprehend a local council member who was caught on camera wielding a running chainsaw during the violent outburst. The riot, which left the residents of a quiet Ofakim neighborhood in a state of terror, is now understood to be part of a long standing and lethal blood feud between two factions of the same family. What was initially reported as a spontaneous clash has now exposed deep seated lawlessness involving individuals who hold positions of public trust, leading to renewed calls for a massive crackdown on clan violence in southern Israel.

The Councilman and the Chainsaw

The investigation into the Ofakim riot took a significant turn when police analysts identified a local council member from Ar'ara in the Negev as the man seen in viral footage brandishing a chainsaw. While residents filmed from their balconies, shouting "Mommy, they came with a chainsaw!" and "They started an intifada here," the official was allegedly participating in a high speed pursuit involving pickup trucks and stone throwing. Following the incident, police tracked the suspect back to his home in the Negev, where he was taken into custody.

This arrest brings the total number of detainees to nine, with six suspects, including the council member, scheduled for a court appearance where police will request an extension of their detention. The authorities have emphasized that the investigation is far from over, stating that "activity will continue as long as necessary to locate and arrest additional participants." The presence of a public servant at the heart of such a brutal street war has intensified the public outcry regarding the erosion of governance in the region.

A Year of Bloodshed

New details released by investigators suggest that the confrontation began around 2:00 PM when the rival factions accidentally crossed paths at a construction site in Ofakim. This was not a pre-planned ambush, but rather a chance encounter that ignited a "blood feud" stemming from a targeted assassination that took place last year in the town of Ar'ara. The two factions, despite belonging to the same extended family, have been engaged in an internal war for months.

Witnesses described the scene as a battlefield, with pickup trucks racing through streets and men jumping out to hurl heavy rocks at one another. Within three minutes of the first emergency call, Ofakim police officers arrived on the scene to begin making arrests, but the psychological damage to the local population was already done. The fact that a local leader, who is supposed to represent law and order, was allegedly a central figure in such a primitive and dangerous display of violence has raised serious questions about the influence of clan loyalty over civil law.