Police car (file)
Police car (file)Israel news photo: Flash 90

51-year-old George Saado was shot and critically wounded in the city of Ramle late on Sunday night. Doctors fought to save the his life, but early on Monday morning he died of his injuries.

He was survived by five children, ages 15 to 24.

Police are investigating the incident. Commanders said Monday that they are looking into the possibility that the murder was carried out by terrorists.

Police have decided not to release details of the case until further notice.

Saado's family said that before he died, he managed to tell a neighbor that the men who shot him said, "We're doing this because of what you're doing in Gaza."

Local Arabs have often harassed Jews in the city, the family said, but they left Saado alone, both because he spoke Arabic and because of his strength.

The mixed Jewish-Arab city of Ramle is home to multiple Arab crime families. In 2011 it was labeled a “high crime” area in which IDF soldiers should not carry guns.