From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
State Attorney’s Office reopens case against guard who allegedly shot Bedouin teen
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The State Attorney’s Office has decided to reopen a case against a volunteer security guard suspected of the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old Bedouin citizen of Israel nearly two years ago in the Negev.
The victim, Juma’a Danfiri, from the unrecognized village of Wadi al-Na’am, was spotted late at night in February 2024 with two others hopping the fence that bounds Kibbutz Retamim in an apparent burglary attempt.
After the three were handcuffed by members of the security squad, one of the guards allegedly shot Danfiri three times in the head while he was face-down on the ground.
The suspect, whose name is under a gag order, claimed he shot Danfiri in self-defense after he broke free from his restraints and tried to attack him with a pocket knife.
Danfiri’s family’s attorney, Avi Himi, disputes this version of events and insists that the six guards at the scene tampered with evidence to evade justice.
The case was nevertheless closed by the Southern District Attorney’s Office due to the suspect’s apparent lack of guilt.
Himi reached out to the State Attorney’s Office last year to appeal the decision, and now informs The Times of Israel that the appeal was accepted earlier this week.
The case and its evidence have been returned to state prosecutors for further investigation.
The Times of Israel Community.