TEL AVIV – An Israeli-Arab fighting for the Islamic State was killed in Syria in an American airstrike, Ynet news reported.
28-year-old Khalil Saleh, from Umm al-Fahm in Israel’s north, entered Syria via Turkey three years ago. His family received news of his death on Sunday.
“The family lost all contact with their son,” said a family friend. “All they know is that he was killed and they have no further details. It’s a shame when anyone thinks about joining such groups, as their end is known. Up to now, it was hard for me to understand who was behind brainwashing the young people and convincing them to join IS. This is a very serious thing.”
Saleh is the seventh Israeli-Arab to have been killed in Syria while fighting for the Islamic State.
50 Israeli-Arabs are known to have fought or to be fighting with the Islamist terror group.
Mahmoud Faiz Sadi from Nazareth was accused on Sunday of transferring $1,500 to his brother Mustafa, who left Israel to fight alongside IS in Syria in June 2014.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that the Shin Bet security services and the Israel Police jointly arrested two Israeli-Arab men on suspicion of planning an attack in Israel in the Islamic State’s name.