The Nazareth Magistrate's Court gave the force of a judgment today to a settlement agreement in a civil lawsuit filed by the state following the killing of an Israeli gazelle. Under the agreement, Adham Abu Zaidan will pay the state NIS 90,000, in addition to the punishment imposed on him in the criminal proceedings.
The lawsuit was filed by the Northern District Attorney's Office (Civil) on behalf of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. This is the second judgment in a civil lawsuit filed by the state following the illegal hunting of an Israeli gazelle. In a previous proceeding, conducted in the Haifa Magistrate's Court, a hunter who killed a female gazelle was ordered to pay the state NIS 70,000.
Both proceedings reflect the expansion of the state's struggle against illegal hunting into the civil sphere, through demanding compensation for damage to wildlife alongside criminal punishment.
Shot a gazelle and hid the carcass
According to the statement of claim, in December 2020, Abu Zaidan set out with two other individuals to hunt wildlife while equipped with a hunting rifle. During the hunt, he shot a mature male Israeli gazelle and killed it. After the shooting, the gazelle's carcass was collected and hidden under a pile of stones. Israel Nature and Parks Authority rangers operating in the area located the carcass.
In the criminal proceeding, Abu Zaidan was convicted of hunting wildlife and was sentenced, among other things, to six months of community service, a fine, and the forfeiture of the weapon used for the hunting. Now, as stated, he will be required to pay an additional NIS 90,000 to the state as part of the civil proceeding.
Only a few thousand gazelles remain in Israel
The Israeli gazelle is a protected wildlife species in danger of extinction, and illegal hunting is considered one of the main threats to the continued existence of the gazelle population in Israel.
In 2025, the gazelle population in Israel was estimated at only about 5,500 individuals. The harm to every individual is particularly significant when dealing with a limited population, and therefore, alongside the criminal proceeding, the state is also acting in the civil sphere to demand compensation for the damage caused to wildlife.