Daughter of slain Lod woman unable to attend funeral due to ongoing threat to life

A girl whose mother and twin sister were shot dead in Lod was unable to attend their Wednesday funeral due to the ongoing threat to her life.

Maryam Hajaj’s mother Manar, 34, and Khadra, 14, were shot dead late Monday night. Miriam was moderately injured but succeeded in escaping.

Sources familiar with the matter said the police had decided in coordination with welfare services that Maryam’s life was still in danger and that attending the funeral was therefore dangerous and impractical.

The funeral for the mother and daughter took place Wednesday afternoon in Lod and was attended by dozens of family members and friends.

Investigators have said the shooting could be linked to an ongoing dispute involving Manar Hajaj’s husband, Issam Hajaj, who was suspected four years ago in the slaying of another romantic partner of his, Samar Hatib, according to Hebrew media reports. The targeting of his relatives — who have no known ties to the crime world — could be an effort to take revenge on him.

A wave of violent crime has hit the Arab community in recent months, with some 75 Arab Israelis having been killed due to violent crime since the beginning of 2022, according to the Abraham Initiatives organization.

Speaking earlier on Wednesday, Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai said the assassins who killed Manar and Khadar had become “our most wanted persons,” and said the investigation was a top priority for the entire police force.

“Criminals who plan the murder of a mother and her two little daughters are the lowliest and most brutal criminals there are,” said Shabtai.

“We will not be silent until we put our hands on them and ensure they pay the most expensive price which law enforcement can give them.”

The police commissioner visited Lod on Tuesday, where he announced the establishment of a special police task force in the city to be comprised of 300 police officers, to create a heightened police presence in Lod and “carry out substantive and offensive operational missions in the sector.”

Border Police and the Yasam special unit will also take part in the task force.

Separately, police announced on Wednesday that they had identified the murderer of Rajab Abu Hamad, 30, who was shot dead in Lod in July due to a local dispute.

Police stated that various technological and forensic tools have been used to solve the case. The suspect, a Lod resident, was found and arrested in the West Bank.

Police submitted a statement of intent to prosecute to the Lod District Court on Wednesday morning and said an indictment would be issued in the coming days.

The co-executive director of the Abraham Initiatives, Amnon Be’eri-Sulitzeanu, said that although police have embarked on a special operation to combat crime in the Arab sector, it was not realistic to expect results in the 11 months since the operation began.

“The issue of violence in the Arab community is the biggest challenge facing Israel,” said Be’eri-Sulitzeanu.

He added that real change would not happen “while Arab society is in general in a position of inferiority and discriminated against in Israel.”