Israel – Three Palestinians arrested by security forces from the Samaria village of Akraba on suspicion of being involved in the fatal running over an Israeli civilian on December 1.
Avraham Ben Tzion, a farmer from the Jordan Valley community of Nativ Hagdud, was found dead near Ma’aleh Efraim.
Security force led by the Shin Bet said three Palestinian suspects left their village on the day of the incident with the intention of stealing a vehicle.
They named the three as Muhammad Bassem Rama, 27, Ashraf Beni Jabar 26, and Amir Beni Jabar, 24, all of whom have been imprisoned in the past for criminal offenses, including theft, breaking and entering, and illegally entering Israel.
The three drove in a car behind Ben Zion’s vehicle, collided with him from the rear in order to get him to stop and exit, then sprayed his face with tear gas and made off with his vehicle, the Shin Bet said.
While trying to prevent the theft, Ben Zion was mortally injured, the investigation found, and the thieves ran over him with the stolen vehicle, dying of his injuries soon afterwards.
“The three fled with Ben Zion’s car to the village of Kablan, where they sold the car, and returned to their village,” the Shin Bet stated.
“Following an intelligence effort, we arrested, on the night after the incident, Rama and Ashraf Jabar,” the Shin Bet added. “They confessed to being involved in the incident, and incriminated Amir Beni Jabar, who was arrested the following night.”