The grim toll on Israel's roads continues to mount after a series of devastating traffic accidents over the past day claimed several lives and left others seriously injured.
Yesterday (Wednesday), a head-on collision between two vehicles on Route 90 in the Arava desert resulted in four fatalities. Among the victims were Basel Abu Al-Asal, 27, from the Bedouin town of Rahat, as well as Diaa Aasleh, 41, and his two daughters aged 15 and 10, from the Arab village of Arara, as reported by Kann News.
The accident is yet another tragic addition to the notorious road's long record of fatalities, which has gained a reputation as one of Israel's most dangerous highways. According to Ynet, despite increased enforcement efforts and safety campaigns, the flat, featureless terrain of the Arava seems to induce a hypnotic effect in some motorists, catching them off guard when needing to react to hazards or other vehicles.
Paramedics from Magen David Adom who were among the first responders, reported, "The two cars were crushed in the middle of the road with chaos all around". Despite frantic life-saving efforts, three of the casualties showed no signs of life and had to be pronounced dead at the scene.
Two others, a 40-year-old woman and a teenage boy, survived but with serious injuries requiring urgent medical evacuation by helicopter to the hospital. The woman remains in critical condition while the teenager is stable.
The disturbing uptick in road fatalities shows no sign of abating, with the grim count since the beginning of 2024 already reaching 221 - a shocking 25% increase compared to the same period last year.
As investigations seek to determine the exact circumstances behind each tragic loss of life, safety advocates are again sounding the alarm about the urgency of taking concrete measures to safeguard all road users across the country.