National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the scene and accused the previous head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bara, of inaction regarding the crimes of the Bedouins.
An incident involving heavy gunfire occurred near Retamim in southern Israel on Sunday evening.
The shooting was believed to have come from Bedouin The village of Bir Hadaj caused panic among the residents of Retamim.
Shooting is heard in Retamim, southern Israel, November 16, 2025 (Photo: SECTION 27A OF THE COPYRIGHT LAW).
Secretary of Homeland Security Itamar Ben-Real rushed to the scene and security forces increased their presence in the area immediately after receiving reports of heavy artillery fire, but residents say the response was not fast enough.
Retamim, a religious community settlement in the Negev with a population of about 780 people, has long been plagued by criminal incidents and gunfire from the nearby area. Local residents are calling for security fences, increased patrols and declaring certain areas closed military zones.
Residents of the unrecognized Bedouin outpost of Al-Sir burn their homes to protest the evacuation ordered by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, September 17, 2025; illustrative. (Photo: ITAMAR BEN-GVIR OFFICE)
Security sources believe the incident was criminal in nature. At the time of writing, there were no casualties as a result of the incident, but Israel Police opened an investigation.
According to Ynet, Ben-Gvir claimed that the shooting was organized as a protest against the destruction of an “illegal mosque.” “This does not stop me, I will continue to pursue a policy of demolishing illegal buildings,” he added.
According to testimony, the shooting began around 10 p.m. and continued intermittently for about an hour.
Resident: “It was like a war”
“We heard hundreds of shots, it was like a war,” said one resident. “The children woke up in tears, we all hid in our homes. There is no security here, the IDF and the police are not protecting us properly.”
“This is not the first time, but this time it was widespread. We are terrified and afraid to leave the house,” added another.
“Rebels in the Negev think that if they shoot at settlements, the police will back down and stop destroying their illegal homes and imposing noise restrictions on mosques. They are terribly wrong. We are determined to restore governance in the Negev,” Ben-Gvir said.
The minister also blamed the previous head of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) Ronen Bar, saying that Bar “did not want to intervene because he considered these events to be criminal and not nationalistic”, adding that the current head of the Shin Bet David Zini “understands that this is a nationalist event.”
“The reality of gunfire being heard outside residents' homes as a matter of routine is unacceptable and the government still does not seem to have realized that this poses an existential threat to us. I expect the Israeli police, Shin Bet and all relevant authorities to enforce the law, collect weapons and eradicate this dangerous phenomenon,” said Eran Doron, head of the Ramat Hanegev regional council.
