5 Palestinians indicted in deadly West Bank attacks

3 accused of killing Danny Gonen in June; 2 others charged with killing Malachy Rosenfeld in drive-by shooting days later

By ToI Staff 17 August 2015, 5:00 pm

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A group of terrorists involved in the terror attack near Shvut Rachel on June 29, where Malachi Rosenfeld was murdered, is seen at Israel's Ofer military court near the West Bank city of Ramallah on August 17, 2015. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Israel’s military prosecutor on Monday indicted five Palestinians suspected of committing terror attacks that killed two Israelis in the West Bank in recent weeks.

Danny Gonen, 25, was shot in the upper body in an attack near the settlement of Dolev, northwest of Jerusalem, in mid-June. He was transferred by IDF helicopter to Tel Hashomer Hospital, where he died soon after.

Gonen, from Lod, and a friend of his were driving in the West Bank when they were flagged down by a Palestinian man who was seemingly asking them for assistance. He then pulled a gun out of a bag he was carrying and opened fire at point-blank range, mortally wounding Gonen and wounding his friend.

Malachy Rosenfeld, 25, from Kochav Hashachar, was killed in a drive-by shooting near the West Bank settlement of Shvut Rachel, north of Ramallah, at the end of June. Three other people were wounded in the attack that killed Rosenfeld.

Two terrorists involved in the terror attack outside Ein Bubin on June 19 are seen at Israel's Ofer military court near the West Bank city of Ramallah on August 17, 2015. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90) — Two terrorists involved in the terror attack outside Ein Bubin on June 19 are seen at Israel’s Ofer military court near the West Bank city of Ramallah on August 17, 2015. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Muhammad Abu Shahin, Amjad Adouan and Ashraf Amar are charged with Gonen’s murder, while Abdallah As’hak and Faiz Ahmed are suspects in the shooting attack that killed Rosenfeld.

Danny Gonen, 25, from Lod, who was killed Friday, June 19, 2015 in a shooting attack near the West Bank settlement of Dolev by a Palestinian gunman (Facebook)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the time promised that Israel would respond to the terror attacks “forcefully” and would see that the perpetrators were brought to justice.

“The attempts to hurt us do not stop for a moment. The Shin Bet security service and the IDF have thwarted dozens of terror attacks since the start of the year, and more than 200 since the start of 2014,” Netanyahu said during a press conference with the Italian foreign minister after Rosenfeld’s death.

The Judea Military Court is expected to discuss extending the five suspects’ remand later on Monday.

— Judah Ari Gross contributed to this report.