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Monday, October 5, 2026
East Jerusalem man charged with murder of Fatima Rajbi, who went missing last month
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleThe Jerusalem District Prosecutor’s Office charges East Jerusalem resident Salah Othman, 48, with the murder of Fatima Rajbi, whose body was located near the capital days after she disappeared last month.
According to the indictment, Othman was a gambler who borrowed hundreds of thousands of shekels from several people, including Rajbi, to support his habit. Rajbi had in early September demanded Othman pay her back NIS 120,000 ($33,000), and on September 13 she got into a car with Othman, who said he would drive her to his home to get the cash, the indictment says.
Instead, prosecutors say, Othman fatally struck Rajbi in the head with a sledgehammer and stuffed her body into a plastic drum which he later filled with construction sealant. The indictment does not say where he put the drum with the body.
Othman also allegedly disposed of Rajbi’s cellphone and ID and took her credit card, which he used to withdraw NIS 15,000 ($4,900) from her bank account.
Othman then went into hiding on the roof of a building until he was arrested on September 18 after a relative turned him in, the indictment says.
Along with aggravated murder, the suspect is charged with destruction of evidence, theft and credit fraud. Prosecutors request that the court keep him in custody until the end of legal proceedings.
The Times of Israel Community.