Police: Ramle woman slain because she wanted to learn

A Ramle mother of six who was shot dead in October met her death because she wanted to study and advance professionally, police believe.

An unknown assailant opened fire at Buthaina Abu Ghanim while she was parked in her vehicle at the central Israeli city of Ramle. She died on the way to the hospital.

An investigation by Israel Police’s Central District found that the victim’s husband and ex-husband, both aged 35, conspired along with the ex-husband’s 29-year-old brother to murder her for her independence and educational aspirations, Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

A female eyewitness was crucial to the investigation, and she is currently under police protection to keep her from being assassinated as well.

Abu Ghanim was the ninth female member of her family to have been killed in the past 14 years, leading police to suspect that she had been executed in an honor killing.

The 31-year-old woman divorced her first husband several years before her murder.

Between the years 2000 and 2007, eight members of Abu Ghanim’s family were murdered, including her stepmother, Naifa, and her 16-year-old sister, Sharihan.

Members of Abu Ghanim’s family have been indicted and charged for two of the eight murders, Ynet reported.

Another of Abu Ghanim’s sisters, Dalia, went missing in 2008, prompting suspicions that the then-16-year-old had been abducted and possibly murdered. Police have been unable to locate her.

Adiv Sterman contributed to this report.